Stuck
by moscowmoocow
Summary: Fate brings Ariadne Nocturne and Draco Malfoy together. Their personalities drive them apart. Which force will win? Destiny or an iron will? See more inside. Rated T for language, romance, and slight violence.
1. We're Way Past Introductions

**Woo. Tom Felton/Draco Malfoy is the epitome of hotness. Everyone writes a story about Draco/OC, and I think I'm going to do one, too. **

**Although they're all the same piece, I'm pretty sure I can make this one different.**

**So, here is my mini-fic about Draco Malfoy, his man-slutness, and a Slytherin Girl never destined for the dark side. This does NOT follow the books, it's the seventh year for The Golden Trio, Malfoy, and my OC, and Dumbledore is alive. (Omg!) **

**XXX**

Ariadne Nocturne was never supposed to be in Slytherin. At least in her mind. Her parents, both Death Eaters, were overjoyed when their daughter was sorted into their house, their alma mater. But Ariadne personally hated the green and silver banners that plastered the majority of her life.

"Ariadne!" her mother called. The young girl awoke with a stir, almost flinging her half-conscious body onto the dark wooden floor. "You'll be late for the train! It's your last year at Hogwarts, and so help me, we are not going to be late!"

The voice of Violeta Nocturne was shrill and authoritative. The woman was in her early forties, with glittering green eyes and wavy brown hair. She was petite, compact, and as intimidating as a pregnant Hungarian Horntail. She was the polar opposite of her husband, who was quiet and reserved. Adrien Nocturne, if his voice was ever heard, was soft and strong. He was much taller than his wife, and the white-blond hair on his head was fading to silver. He saw the world through slate grey eyes.

Ariadne, a perfect mix of both, shuffled groggily toward her bathroom. Italian granite covered the floor, and the morning sun fell softly through white Venetian blinds. She reached inside her Vichy shower and turned a few knobs until the water flowed steadily. The water was scalding within seconds—just the way she liked it. She loosened the rubber bands in her golden hair and rubbed the sleep from her green-and-grey eyes. She wasn't that tall, around 5'2, with an athletic build.

She stepped across the white tiles and into the multi-headed shower, letting the boiling water relax her muscles. She would be seeing her arch nemesis today. No, not Potter. Malfoy. The pompous, self-centered brat who has tortured her for most of her childhood. Ariadne refused to have the baby pictures of them anywhere noticeable in their house. Or should she say, mansion.

Being buddy buddy with Voldemort has given the Nocturne family endless riches. Their estate was settled on the Atlantic coast, built into the cliffs of Mother Britain herself. Their mansion was a combination of grey stone and steel, protruding from the cliff with sharp, elegant angles. Her own bedroom faced the waves and opened to the highest balcony of the three-story home. It was enormous, paved with white flagstone and curved in a perfect semicircle around the western wall.

Ariadne shut off the water and wrapped a green fluffy towel around her raw skin. She stepped onto a matching bathmat and proceeded to get dressed. She chose a loose off-the-shoulder shirt as white as fresh snow. On her legs were light brown corduroy drainpipe pants which disappeared into boots of a darker brown hue. After drying her long, wavy hair, she half-jogged down the stairs and into the grand dining room. She crossed the threshold and was met by the sight of three additional people.

The Malfoys.

XXX

"Good morning, Ariadne." her father said calmly, cutting off his wife from making an unnecessarily loud upbraiding. Ariadne returned the greeting and turned to face her parents' guests, extending a slender hand to Lucius and Narcissa.

"So nice to see you after the summer, Ariadne. Your hair looks lovely." Narcissa was always warm to Ariadne—the young girl was the daughter she'd always wanted. Lucius nodded and turned back to his omelet.

When Draco said nothing, his mother nudged him with a pointy elbow.

"Draco! Where are your manners? Ariadne is waiting to greet you!" Draco raised a platinum brow at his fellow Slytherin and stuck out his tongue while the parents were occupied. Ariadne rolled her eyes and plopped down next to her mother. With a loud _crack!_ the family house elf was in the room.

"What would Miss like for breakfast?" the tiny house elf was named Rosie, and around her tiny body was a torn piece of tablecloth.

"The usual, please. Thank you, Rosie." with a white smile Ariadne returned to the conversation.

"So, Ari, you'll be going to Hogwarts with the Malfoys this morning. The Dark Lord has given your father and I a special assignment. We're to track some Order Members in Diagon Alley." her mother beamed. The young blonde didn't even bother to look at Draco's face. The smirk she detested was plastered on his smug mouth—that was for sure—and she didn't need to see it this early in the morning.

"Is your trunk packed, Ariadne?" Narcissa asked sweetly. Ariadne nodded in resignation and began to pick at the French toast Rosie brought her.

"Excellent! Then we shall leave when you're finished." with a pearly smile, Narcissa rose with her husband and son and waited outside on the lowest balcony of the Nocturne Estate.

XXX

"Does the Misses have her wand?" Rosie flit around Ariadne's bedroom, snatching the last minute things her forgetful master had misplaced.

"Yes, Rosie. Thank you. I don't think I'm going to take Zeus' carrier, either. He hates it in there." she was referring to the pure white cat at her feet.

"Of course, Misses. And with the addition of your winter coat, you should be packed!" the house elf squeaked.

Ariadne bent to hug the small house elf before she left.

"Misses! There is no need to thank Rosie, or hug Rosie for that matter! Rosie is only doing her job!" Ariadne shook her head and smiled. "Rosie, you've been such a good friend to me, and I appreciate all your help."

Large, fat tears welled in the enormous green eyes of the house elf.

"Oh, Miss Ariadne! You have made Rosie so happy! So very, _very _happy!" with an excited little squeal, Rosie disapparated out of the room. Ariadne scooped up Zeus with her left arm and pulled her wand out into her right hand.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" her trunk was bobbing behind her like a large parade balloon as she skipped down the wooden stairs. She met her parents by the door and forced a smile.

"Here, this should be enough money for whatever you need." her mother stuffed an enormous sack of galleons into her overflowing trunk and patted her daughter on the head. Ariadne sighed inwardly—money seemed to always take the place of parental care.

"Sorry we can't see you off, love. Duty calls, you know. And just think, when you come back for winter break, the Dark Lord will want to induce you as a Death Eater!" her father sounded so proud. The tone was wrong in Ariadne's ears and her stomach twisted guiltily. How could she join a regime she had no heart for?

She shook the feelings of dread from her heart, hugged both of her parents briefly, and walked outside to the front balcony.

Their house was only accessible by apparition, seeing as their estate was carved out of the bluffs themselves. The Malfoy family lounged on the enormous deck with Mimosas courtesy of Rosie.

"Are you ready, Ariadne?" Narcissa asked. With a gulp she nodded. She knew that Apparition was coming—and she hated the feeling. But regardless, she clutched the arm of the white-blonde woman and felt her word twist into oblivion.

XXX

They were deposited on Platform 9 3/4, right in front of the steaming engine of the Hogwarts Express. Ariadne put her trunk on a passing luggage cart and walked back to the Malfoys, who had just finished saying goodbye to their son. Narcissa closed both children into an embrace and Ariadne felt a hot tear roll into her hair. Narcissa was crying.

"Have fun you two! Now hurry, we were late to begin with!" Lucius shook Ariadne's hand before she turned to walk with her mortal enemy onto the Express. Once they were inside, they found almost every compartment full. There were open seats with the Golden Trio, but Malfoy wouldn't have a moment of it.

"Nocturne! What makes you think I'd want to spend a moment of my time with The Chosen One, a Mudblood, and a blood traitor?" he asked incredulously. Ariadne shoved him against a wall and watched him fall to the ground.

"Don't make me hex you, Nocturne!" he snarled from the floor

"Still calling me by my last name? Aren't we a little old for that?" with a coy smile she ducked into the nearest compartment, scaring a gaggle of first years half to death.

"Hello, kids! Can I take your compartment?" once the children saw the Slytherin Crest on her Hogwarts robes, the children gulped and nodded, shuffling out of the compartment one by one.

"Ellie! That girl isn't nice, she's a Slytherin!" she heard one of them growl.

"Arnold, so what if she's Slytherin? She was nice enough to ask. If you keep up that attitude, I bet you two galleons and a box of Bernie Bott's you'll be sorted into Slytherin!" the boy shut his mouth after that piece of logic. Ariadne made a mental note to be nice to the first year named Ellie. She had faith in humanity still.

A few minutes later Draco stormed into the compartment, hair slightly ruffled. He found Ariadne reading an edition of Teen Witch Weekly.

"You look like a startled bird, Draco." Ariadne didn't even look up from the article she was reading. Draco smoothed back his platinum hair and glared at her through steely eyes.

"Don't talk to me, Nocturne. If Blaine's compartment wasn't full I wouldn't be sitting with you!" Ariadne raised a manicured brow and smiled knowingly.

"You mean, if Pansy Parkinson wasn't in that compartment. Don't have the heart to tell her no yet? How pathetic are you?" Malfoy snatched a pillow off the upholstered bench and threw it at her. It knocked the magazine from her hands and onto the floor.

"Oh _no you didn't."_ Ariadne locked the compartment door and yanked down the shutters, whirling on Draco in one move.

"You're trapped now, Draco. What're you gonna do?" before he could reply with some insult Ariadne tackled her fellow Slytherin. His head slammed into the carpet and she sat on his chest, pinning his arms down with her knees. His legs kicked out, trying for purchase, but Ariadne leaned back on his _ahem_ "man area" and he stopped struggling immediately.

"Do. Not. Throw. Pillows. At. My. Head." she hissed. Draco wiped the look of fear from his face and replaced it with muted triumph. This change of pace confused Ariadne momentarily.

"If you wanted me so badly, Nocturne, you just had to tell me so. No need to let Pansy get in the way of you and me." he winked an icy blue eye and laughed as Ariadne's mouth fell open in disbelief. She slapped Draco across the face. _Hard._ She was satisfied when her handprint was branded onto his pale cheek. The look of actual hurt was so clear on Draco's face she stood instantly, even more confused than before. Draco got up and sat on the opposite bench and glared at her.

"I'm sorry." hurt was replaced by surprise on the young Malfoy's face. Ariadne gingerly picked up the magazine off of the floor and continued to read it. They sat in silence until the Express wheeled to a screeching stop. Ariadne glanced out the window to see Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, swinging a lantern and beckoning the first years loudly.

"Firs' years wit me! C'mon now, get yerselves in gear! Firs' years this way!" she watched the young girl named Ellie walk next to her cynical friend Arnold. She hoped the girl would be sorted into her house. Slytherin could use more kind souls.

Zeus awoke from his five hour nap to climb onto Ariadne's left shoulder, his preferred place when traveling. She looked over to Draco and saw him fast asleep. She walked over to the boy and nudged him with her hand.

"Hn…Ari..oddd…..neee….ughn…" he was mumbling incoherently in his sleep.

"Zeus?" the blonde girl watched the cat leap from his perch and land on Draco's face, blocking any sort of air flow the boy needed. Within moments he awoke with a gasping, seizure-like movement.

"Good kitty...Good morning, sunshine! It's time to go to school!" with a fake smile Ariadne brushed the hair out of the boy's eyes and left the compartment.

XXX

The entrance hall was as polished and ornate as ever. Ariadne looked over at the four large hourglasses that held the jewels used for counting House points. Their meters were all set to zero. Her eyes trailed off to the grand staircase, the countless portraits, and the trophy cases which paraded the glories of past Hogwarts legends. Her train of thought was broken by a tap on her shoulder.

"Miss Nocturne!" she heard the smile in his voice before she saw him. Her best friend and fellow Slytherin, Hiro Taminama. He was a tall and skinny Japanese wizard, with a spiked black fauxhawk and odd eyes. His right was a warm chocolate color, while his left was a cloudy blue. That eye was destroyed in a magical mishap when he was very young. Her eyes moved to gaze upon the entirely opaque blue sclera before he swept her into a bone-crushing hug.

"How has the summer been?" she dove into her boring summer routine while he listened intently. The two seventh years took their seats at the Slytherin Table in the Great Hall while the tiny first years came in.

"They seem to get shorter every year…" Hiro said uneasily. A first year, who only came up to Hiro's thigh, squeaked and ran when she heard him. Dumbledore rose to start the ceremony.

"Good evening, Hogwarts students! Welcome to the new school year! I would like to introduce to you our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Alastor Moody! For those of you who don't remember him, three years ago he taught for a single year before departing. Well, he didn't teach, rather, an imposter did, but that's beyond the point. May I also present Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher, who will be sorting you first years this evening." with a sweep of starry-colored robes, Albus Dumbledore sat in his golden winged chair.

An old witch with a pointed hat rose from her spot at the teacher's table and pulled from beneath her cloak a battered old hat. She conjured a stool and placed the hat atop it. Much to the first year's shock, and for some, fear, the hat's seams split into a face that began to sing a song.

_A thousand years or more ago__  
__when I was newly sewn,__  
__there lived four wizards of renown,__  
__whose names are still well known:__  
__bold__Gryffindor__, from wild moor,__  
__fair__Ravenclaw__, from glen,__  
__sweet__Hufflepuff__, from valley broad,__  
__shrewd__Slytherin__, from fen.__  
__They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,__  
__they hatched a daring plan__  
__to educate young sorcerers__  
__thus__Hogwarts School__began.__  
__Now each of these__four founders__  
__formed their own__house__, for each__  
__did value different virtues__  
__in the ones they had to teach.__  
__By__Gryffindor__, the bravest were__  
__Prized far beyond the rest;__  
__For__Ravenclaw__, the cleverest__  
__would always be the best;__  
__For__Hufflepuff__, hard workers were__  
__Most worthy of admission;__  
__And power-hungry__Slytherin__  
__loved those of great ambition.__  
__While still alive they did divide__  
__Their favorites from the throng,__  
__Yet how to pick the worthy ones__  
__When they were dead and gone?___

_'Twas__Gryffindor__who found the way,__  
__He whipped me off his head__  
__The founders put some brains in me__  
__So I could choose instead!__  
__Now slip me snug about your ears,__  
__I've never yet been wrong,__  
__I'll have a look inside your mind__  
__And tell where you belong!_

The hat waited for further instruction from McGonagall, who produced an enormous parchment from thin air with the names of the first years written on it.

"Ellie Arneston!" the tiny, brown-haired first year walked up to the stool with short, choppy steps. With shaking hands she placed the hat upon her braided head. It instantly came to life and began laughing. She shrieked in surprise.

"Little Ellie! Oh, what a fine mind you have! And a fine heart, too. Very brave. Hmm…" the hat seemed to be mulling a few things over. "Maybe Gryffindor! You've surely got the valor! Or Ravenclaw, perhaps? Your mind is bright and new…or maybe even Hufflepuff. Your loyalty stretches beyond the norm, young lady." Ellie blushed at the praise from the hat.

"But Slytherin…what about Slytherin? Hm. You're sharp as a tack, dear lady. And you've got ambition. Where do you _want _to be?" in Ellie's mind she begged not to be sorted into Hufflepuff. That was where her sister was, and she _hated_ her sister.

"Not Hufflepuff, eh?" an outraged yell erupted from the yell0w-and-black table. Ellie tried to avoid her sister's enraged face.

"Fine. I've made my choice. Slytherin!" the tiny girl's robes changed from plain black with the Hogwarts crest to silver and green with the signature crest of Salazar Slytherin. With shaking hands she stumbled over to the Slytherin table, who cheered loudly for their newest addition. The girl had no choice but to sit directly across from Ariadne and Hiro.

"You're the girl on the train!" Ellie Arneston exclaimed. Ariadne nodded with a slight smile.

"Welcome to Slytherin. I'm Ariadne Nocturne, and this is my best friend, Hiro Taminama!" the little first year shook Hiro's hand hesitantly, eyes glued to his visual impediment.

"I lost it along with my parents to a backfired spell." he winked his blue eye and she gulped.

"Don't mind him. He's a loony." she giggled as her friend Arnold was being sorted. The black-haired wizard looked as if he were going to be sick. The hat chattered away about the boy's family and the long line of Ravenclaws he hails from and whether or not he belonged in their legacy. His eyes shut tight and he was whispering furiously to the hat.

"All right, All right already! Bloody hell, for a little tyke you sure talk a lot. Gryffindor it is!" the scarlet and gold table erupted in applause as he took his spot next to Harry Potter and a boy Ariadne was sure was named Colin Creevey. Either way, he had a camera and was taking loads of pictures incessantly.

Ariadne watched Ellie curiously—waiting for her reaction to her friend's new House. The girl looked sad—perhaps she had a bit of a crush on the pessimistic boy.

"Don't worry. Not all Slytherins and Gryffindors are enemies!" Hiro assured her. Ellie looked back with scared brown eyes.

"Yeah! Hermione Granger, the curly-haired witch next to the redhead and Harry Potter? We've been friends for a long time. Both of us have a slight rivalry—but only in academics. Otherwise we're perfectly friendly!" Ariadne smiled, trying to stave off the look of despair from the young girl's face.

"Okay. If you're sure…" she took a skeptical glance over her shoulder toward the Gryffindor table.

XXX

Dumbledore finished his announcements and ordered the feast to begin. With satisfied sounds of surprise, the students eagerly took to the now overloaded platters of food on their tables. Baked chicken, filet, fish of any variety, potatoes, salads, and other sides were in abundance. Ariadne and Hiro took matching plates of lemon chicken, Caesar salad, and wild rice. She was about to take the first bite of the meat when she was doused by what was sure to be a goblet of pumpkin juice. A high nasally voice began laughing.

"Sorry, Ari! I didn't see you there!" Pansy Parkinson cooed. Her black curly hair bounced around her pug-like face.

"Pansy. You have three seconds to piss off before I smack you." Pansy said nothing and began making faces at her.

"How old are you, you twit? Three? Four, maybe? I said, _get away from me_!" her voice was low and dangerous and a hush fell over the hall as she rose. Ariadne was taller than Pansy by about two inches, but it was enough to get the hall's attention.

"Miss Nocturne? Is there a problem?" Dumbledore had barely raised his voice, yet it carried easily across the hall.

"No, Professor. Miss Parkinson merely has spilled her pumpkin juice all over me. May I be excused?"

"Before dessert, Miss Nocturne?"

"Please, Professor." Dumbledore gave his permission and Ariadne strode from the hall, planning her revenge on Pansy Parkinson the entire way to the dungeons.

XXX

Professor Snape gave her the password on her way out, and she reveled in the solitary walk down to the Slytherin dungeons. She reached the stone wall next to the portrait of Elizabeth Burke and uttered the key: "_Basilisk._" The stone wall slid open quietly to admit her into the Slytherin common room. The place was paved entirely of slate grey stone, a color that was not unlike the irises of Ariadne's father.

The dungeon had a low ceiling made of a thick glass—the Hogwarts lake was right above them. It gave the common room an eerie, greenish glow, that cast its spell over the armchairs and couches in the center of the room. A large, black-marble hearth already had a roaring fire within it—the only non-green light in the room. She veered to the left and up to the girls' dormitory to bathe.

Ariadne grabbed her toiletry bag from her trunk—already sent up by a caring house elf—and skipped down to the washroom. After drawing the curtains and turning the tap in the bath to almost boiling, she sank into the scalding water and scrubbed the sticky juice from her hair. Three washings with strawberry shampoo later—her hair was back to normal. She began to drain the bath as the other Slytherin girls were entering the bedrooms. Ariadne walked back to her trunk and put on a loose white t-shirt and pajama bottoms of a deep purple color. She went back down to the common room to sit with Hiro in a plump green loveseat. Their friendship has always been platonic, a deep love that is only shared by friends. As she snuggled next to him, she never believed their friendship would progress beyond that. And that was definitely okay, she was tired of all the unwanted advances she usually got. Hiro stroked her freshly washed hair with long and slender fingers, humming an indecipherable song. She almost drifted off to sleep when Draco stormed into the room, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. He and his friends took the couch across from the loveseat Ariadne and Hiro were sharing. The blonde girl felt her best friend's muscles tense at the sight of the Malfoy boy, so much so Ariadne sat up.

She squeezed his hand as if to ask, "Are you okay?" Hiro squeezed her hand back twice: _no._ Ariadne rose then, taking Hiro and walking toward the boys' dormitory.

"Be sure to use protection, Nocturne!" she heard Malfoy call. Ariadne strode back to the boy, fists clenched. In front of the entire common room, she punched Draco Malfoy in his eye.

XXX

**So, there's my attempt at Draco Malfoy romance so far! Tell me what you think, review and recommendations only make me a better writer for you guys!**

**Happy reading, Katie. **


	2. Barely Civil

**Chapter 2 is under way! Thanks so much to ****xXxDragonxPhoenixXx**** for reviewing! Hopefully yalls like it so far.. trying not to make it too cheesy or boring. So, I'm accepting OC's for this story, please enter, complete the form at the bottom! I'd like the characters in reviews, please, because I HATE deleting my inbox.**

**So happy reading, and check out my other stories if you're interested in more OC adventures!**

**XXX**

Ariadne awoke to the sound of falling rain. She rolled over in her emerald green sheets and glanced at her bedside table. On its surface was a creamy envelope with her name written on it in elegant script. She tore open the letter to find that it was her schedule. It went like this:

_First Hour: Charms (Gryffindor)_

_Second Hour: Defense Against the Dark Arts (Gryffindor) _

_Third/Fourth Hour: Double Potions (Gryffindor)_

_Fifth Hour: Herbology (Ravenclaw) _

_Sixth Hour: Transfiguration (Gryffindor)_

"Well, I'm not surprised that they don't pair us with Hufflepuff anymore…" she said to no one in particular. She remembered the mandrake incident with Hufflepuff two years ago—one student almost died. The two houses have never had classes again.

"Merlin's beard! They've got us with Gryffindor for every period!" Millecent Bullstrode cried. Ariadne rolled her eyes and dug into the pocket of her robes, which had been hastily strewn over a chair, and pulled out her wand. It was light and thin, made of Cypress and ten inches long. In its core was a braid of unicorn hair and dragon heartstring. Ollivander described it as "swishy" which supposedly meant it was a good wand for charms and transfigurations. Unsurprisingly, these two subjects were two of Ariadne's best.

The young witch rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got dressed simultaneously, putting on the Hogwarts uniform with tired limbs. The outfit included a crisp white button down shirt, which she carefully rolled to her elbows, a tie with green and silver stripes, a grey pleated skirt that reached her mid-thigh, and black knee-high socks. Over the white shirt went her robes with the Slytherin Crest emblazoned on them. She left the dormitory and went down the stairs to meet Hiro.

"Ready for Charms?" he asked, offering his arm to her. The couple passed a fuming Draco who was nursing an ugly black eye. Pansy clutched his arm in sympathy.

"Oh, Drakie! Let me do that!" she scrambled for the ice pack in his pale hand.

"No, Parkinson! If you wanted to make yourself useful, get my book bag!" she squeaked in obedience and grabbed the boy's black messenger bag. Ariadne and Hiro laughed the entire way up to Professor Flitwick's classroom.

The two maneuvered around towers of papers and books until they found the last available seats—next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Hermione smiled warmly at her—Harry and Ron were too busy looking at a yellowed piece of parchment in their laps.

"Welcome to your seventh year at Hogwarts, Gryffindor and Slytherin! Today we're going to do some light review—Summoning and Banishing charms! Who knows the easiest Summoning Charm?" Flitwick asked. Hermione's hand had shot straight into the air, the same time as Ariadne's.

"Yes, Miss Nocturne?"

"_Accio._" Flitwick confirmed her correct answer and asked Hermione for its opposite.

"_Depulso._"

"Indeed, Miss Granger! Five points to Slytherin and Gryffindor! Now, pick up your wands." Flitwick raised his and gave it a thorough wave, producing a mass of random objects on his desk.

"Now, pick any object and summon it. Once you've got your object, you can work on the Banishing Charm."

The next half-hour was spent summoning and banishing various objects. Seamus Finnigan, who never had a knack for charms, sent his rubber chicken flying into the southern window. Hermione and Ariadne had mastered the art, and had a bit of fun smashing their objects (a stuffed hippogriff and a can of herrings) into various structures and people. Ariadne charmed her tin to open right above Malfoy's blond hair.

The stinky tin uncurled just as Draco lifted out of his nap. His hair was covered in the grey-green fish oil preservative within. He cursed and howled as it burned his eyes.

"Oh, no Mr. Malfoy! What have you done with yourself?" Flitwick scurried off of his perch at the podium to bounce over to Malfoy.

"Don't worry, Professor. I can fix him." Hiro offered. Flitwick's blue eyes widened as he gave him the okay.

"_Aguamenti!_" a stream of frigid water burst from the tip of Hiro's yew and unicorn wand and drenched Malfoy.

"Perfect! Five points to Slytherin, Taminama!"

XXX

After Malfoy had siphoned off the cold water from Hiro's Aguamenti charm, he followed the two Slytherin up to Alastor Moody's new classroom. Inside were foe-glasses, sneakoscopes, which, went off loudly as Draco walked by, and various dark objects. Moody was writing something on the chalkboard, blue eye whizzing in its socket.

"Sit down, Malfoy! You'll trod on the cursed chains!" sure enough, the blond boy got his feet tangled in the metal and he smashed into the ground. The chains sprung to life and began binding him.

"_Relashio_!" Moody shouted. The chains slithered back into their coils and Malfoy sat down in front of Ariadne and Hiro. He pulled out his wand and laid it on the desk before him, twiddling it between his fingers and waiting for Moody to start the class. He hobbled up to a large, shaking cabinet.

"_Please_ tell me we aren't doing Boggarts! That's _Riddikulus!" _Ron Weasley roared. The Gryffindors joined in heartily—it was a pretty good joke—but Moody didn't take it so lightly.

"The last I remember, Ronnie, Lupin told me you're afraid of spiders!" Ron blushed a deep scarlet that reached his ears.

"And with that, we'll begin. Today we're going to tackle Patronuses." an interested gasp fell across the Gryffindors and Slytherins alike. Moody smiled, making the scars on his face stretch into an unattractive form.

"Now that Voldemort—" he paused while a few girls shrieked. "—Is back, I need to train you to expect the worst! Inferius, Boggarts, Dementors, Fiendfyre, all the things the Dark Lord has no trouble throwing at you! Let's see now…Harry! You're most used to Patronuses. Why don't you give us all a demonstration."

The Boy Who Lived rose and pulled out his holly-and-phoenix-feather wand.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" a pure white stag burst from the tip of his wand, galloping around the room before dissipating in the morning light. Moody clapped politely and called the students up, one by one, to try the process.

"You must first think happy thoughts. Dementors feed on death and despair. If you think sad thoughts, your soul will be sucked from your body!" Pansy, who had been called up, now quivered in fear when asked to perform. With a strangled squeal a fat pug Patronus flopped out of her wand and popped out of existence before it could drag itself around.

"Tsk, Parkinson. You know they say that one's Patronus reflects characteristics of the caster." the class roared in laughter as she returned to her seat.

Person after person cast their own Patronus, it seemed as if the Gryffindors associated with "Dumbledore's Army" from two years back could all produce them. Some of the Slytherin, however, had extreme difficulty. Blaise Zabini couldn't even conjure a silver stream, let alone a manifested Patronus, and Millicent Bullstrode's cat Patronus strangled itself. Draco was unable to produce a Patronus at all.

"They say that Snape is the only Death Eater who can produce a Patronus." Ron Weasley whispered. Ariadne, who was seated next to him, raised her brows in surprise. She had never thought about it that way before. When had her parents ever felt the need to cast a Patronus charm? She wasn't sure she could produce one herself. She sighed as Hermione's otter wove its way around Ron's head. He blushed slightly as the otter slipped away.

"Nocturne!" Moody growled. With a loud screech from her chair, she walked up to the front of the classroom. She pulled out her cypress wand and thought about Hiro, the sun, and her cat.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" a white lion roared from the end of her wand, landing on all fours in solid form. It prowled the aisles with powerful muscles, leaping from the floor to the chandelier in one bound. It roared again before leaping at Ariadne, disappearing before it could make impact.

"Excellent, Miss Ariadne! Quite a shocking form for a Slytherin." Ariadne blushed hot and tried to hide her burning cheeks with her hair.

A Slytherin with a lion patronus. Adorable.

XXX

The rest of the day was spent in utter embarrassment. Ariadne couldn't walk the Hogwarts halls without hearing gossip about her house placement.

"She should be in Gryffindor!" or "Wow! Perhaps she isn't a Death Eater after all!" were only two to name. Ariadne hid behind a screen of her blonde hair and allowed Hiro to guide her to the Quidditch pitch. Once she smelled the damp sod of the field, she emerged from her hair-hideaway and looked around. She always felt so insignificant standing beneath the three goal posts. She wondered if Muggles would be scared of flying on broomsticks, catching giant leather balls and using small bats to hit metal ones towards the opposing team. The only Muggle sport she'd ever seen like that is Rugby. There was no brooms or snitches, but those men took hits twice as hard as a wayward Bludger. She took in the sweet scent of the field once more before retreating into the Slytherin locker room. Hiro and Draco were already dressed.

"Hurry up, Nocturne. Practice starts in five minutes." Draco spat. Ariadne rolled her eyes and threw her cloak into her locker. She sensed Draco was still in the room. She whirled to find him staring.

"Can I help you, Malfoy?" Ariadne asked dryly. Draco's eyes met hers and a smirk crept onto his pale lips. He leaned against the wall, left hand folded under his chin.

"No. Just enjoying the view."

"I'll have you put in detention for this." she retorted, unbuttoning the top clasps on her white shirt. Draco raised a brow.

"No, I don't think you will, Nocturne. You enjoy this more than I do." Ariadne huffed in disbelief and scooped up her uniform, stalking to the bathroom. When she was finished, she wove her hair into a tight braid and passed Draco without a word.

XXX

Ariadne was a one of the two beaters for the Slytherin Quidditch team. She loved nothing more than to crack the bat against a bludger, whose only purpose was to kick the living snot out of an opponent. Hiro, the Quidditch captain, ordered a scrimmage for the day. Draco flew around on his old Nimbus 2001, chasing the snitch, while Hiro guarded the goals. Ariadne deflected a few bludgers here and there, accidentally hitting Crabbe in the thigh. The mass of human slid from his broom and plummeted toward the ground.

"Aw, no! Crabbe!" Goyle was watching from the stands, and his only course of action was to run around, screaming. Hiro smacked his forehead in disdain and whipped out his wand.

"_Immobilus_!" he shouted. Crabbe stopped falling and was suspended in mid air. The odd twisting of his body had ripped his trousers in half, exposing his right thigh. It was a pasty color, and where Ariadne had sent her bludger a nasty bruise was blossoming. The blood beneath his skin pooled a deep reddish hue.

"That's gonna suck in the morning." Hiro laughed. Malfoy shot a glare their way and guided his floating friend over to Goyle, who promised to take him to the hospital wing.

"They've grown surprisingly sharp, those two." Ariadne shook her head. The scrimmage started over and continued for a couple of hours.

The sun was barely setting over the lake when the Slytherin team called it quits. Hiro had to talk to Professor Firenze about his Astronomy project, so Ariadne was the last one out of the team room. Or so she believed. She was about to step into the bath for a quick rinse when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"They want us to ration the water for showers, y'know." she jumped at Draco's statement.

"How long have you been watching me?" she screeched. Draco shrugged once more and stared at her towel.

"Wanna wash with me?" he smirked and almost started laughing. "Sorry, couldn't say that with a straight face!"

"Oh, shut up Draco. You know you'd join me in a heartbeat. Don't lie." she made a move as if to take off her towel and his face flashed bright red.

"See? You wouldn't even know what to do with it." she yanked the green curtain around her, threw out the towel, and began her shower. She thought she heard footsteps leaving the locker room, so she began her normal shower routine: singing, dancing a little, and singing some more. After fifteen minutes of endlessly warm water, she stepped out of the shower.

To her semi-surprise (for she knew that Draco probably couldn't resist) the blond Slytherin was sitting on a wooden bench across from the bath. He clapped slowly, rising to his full height.

"You prat. I knew you were in here." Ariadne hissed. Malfoy shrugged and smirked his signature smirk. He turned on his heel and started for the door.

"You've got a lovely singing voice, Ariadne." she almost snarled a reply until she realized he had complimented her. And called her by her first name.

It wasn't the only "first" to come.

XXX

Ariadne returned to the Great Hall for dinner. Tonight they served a thick beef stew, loaded with vegetables so soft they melted on the spoon. She grabbed the ladle and served herself a heaping portion of the soup, the scalloped potatoes on the side, and a small serving of creamed spinach. Hiro slid into the seat next to her soundlessly.

"Merlin's beard! Astronomy is a straight pain in the arse! Professor Firenze wanted me to identify six galaxies in two minutes! Two! You'd figure he'd given me more time for my bloody blind eye!" he jabbed a thin finger at his blue eye. Ariadne patted his shoulder comfortingly and swallowed her mouthful of stew. She leaned against his shoulder, a silent sign of sympathy. Hiro exhaled at her touch and relaxed a little.

Across from them sat Ellie Arneston, who looked exhausted from her first day of class. She set her wand and a set of scales on the crowded table and began picking at her food half-heartedly. Her friend Arnold, the Gryffindor, walked by the Slytherin table without so much as a hello. It was really tiring, how much Gryffindor and Slytherin didn't get along. The constant bickering, fights, and nasty pranks got old after awhile.

"He'll get over his ego soon." Ellie looked up with tired brown eyes and tried to nod.

"Whose ego? Your own, Nocturne?" Draco sneered. Ariadne rolled her eyes and ignored the comment.

XXX

The Slytherin house had its own share of bickering. Being the ambitious, hard-headed individuals in the school, often times an opinion or even a personality became a war.

These wars, nine times out of ten, were between Ariadne and Draco. Draco fought directly, with harsh insults and obvious tricks. Ariadne had what her mother used to call "the steel tongue" which attributed her manner of speaking as biting, sharp, and ruthless. Often times the students of the Slytherin house made bets on who would win these daily, sometimes hourly, arguments. The worst fight came about a week into the semester, regarding the parentage of Hiro Taminama. It wasn't well-known that he was a Slytherin half-blood, and once Draco discovered this fact, it became school-wide knowledge.

"Did you hear? About Taminama's mum? A muggle? What a shame."

"What kind of bloke would marry a muggle?"

Those kinds of comments boiled Ariadne's blood, so much so that she destroyed the bowl she was trying to transfigure into a turtle. Professor McGonagall raised her thin brows and 'tsk'ed at her. She mumbled her apology and the old Animagus walked away. No successful bowl-to-turtle transfigurations were made after that point. That night, in the common room, was when the sh!t hit the fan. Hiro, infuriated at Malfoy's interpretation of his heritage, challenged him to a duel. Some of the other seventh years moved the couches and tables out of the middle of the common room, leaving an enormous space.

"Back to back!" Blaise Zabini said. The two boys withdrew their wands and began pacing. After the seventh step, they whirled and shouted their attacks.

"_Sectumsempra_!"

"_Protego_!"

The shield projected by Hiro couldn't withstand the blast from Draco's curse, and a long gash sliced the skin of Hiro's arm as if it were made of rotten fruit. Blood gushed from this wound—Hiro quickly healed himself with a stitches charm, just in time for an "_Expelliarmus!_" from his blond assailant.

He dodged the wand-lifting spell and retaliated.

"_Reducto! Petrificus Totalus_!" Malfoy's body stiffened and fell back onto the marble floor with a clatter. His nose was bleeding steadily and had swelled to the size of a plump tomato. It was at this moment that Professor Snape decided to rush into the room. He took one look at Taminama, one at Draco, and yanked the still-standing dueler by his robes toward the portrait hole.

"Fifteen points from Slytherin. You're coming with me to Professor Dumbledore. Miss Nocturne, please take Draco to the hospital wing."

"Ugh! Do I have to?" she whined.

"_Now._ And stay until Madame Pomfrey assures you he's fine to be left alone." Ariadne whipped out her wand and begrudgingly levitated the petrified body of Draco Malfoy. As she was leaving, she heard the squeaking of couches being rearranged and the quiet chatter of the Slytherins heading to bed. She wanted a bath, not to watch over a pompous git who clearly deserved the beating from Hiro. Now her friend would probably get hours of detention at least, or even worse, a suspension. She sighed and looked down at Draco, whose pale face was frozen in pain.

The bell tower chimed somewhere in the distance, indicating that it was midnight. The corridors were completely deserted, except for a few prefects who didn't question her actions. Peeves tried messing with her a few times, but Ariadne cursed him away. He let her be and screamed his plans of dumping ink bottles in the shower pipes.

"You're more trouble then you're worth, y'know." Ariadne muttered to him. "You've tormented others all your life, you're a complete arse, and you wouldn't know manners if they danced naked in front of you!"

The silent Draco did not utter a reply.

"Who are you talking to?" a voice she attached to Harry Potter asked. She stopped, looked around, and whispered _"Lumos."_ Her wand tip glowed brightly, illuminating the entire corridor.

"Where are you, Harry? I know your voice." she glanced along the floor until, sure enough, a pair of bodiless feet were trying to walk away. Abandoning Draco on the ornate carpet, she reached out and pulled the cloak off of The Boy Who Lived.

"What're you doing out so late?" she asked coyly. "You're not a prefect _and _you're without the dynamic duo." Harry blushed at her accurate assessment and fumbled for an answer.

"Just taking a moonlight stroll is all. And…you are…taking Draco where?" he looked around her shoulder at the rigid body of the Malfoy boy.

"To the lake—I'm going to drown him." Harry's smile reached his green eyes and he chuckled softly.

"Good one. To the Hospital Wing, then? I'll walk you myself." he snatched the cloak from her hand when she wasn't looking and fell in stride with the blonde.

"So why so friendly to a Slytherin?" Ariadne hedged. Harry shrugged and looked into her eyes.

"Not sure. I guess you don't really count as a Slytherin."

"Why, because of my niceness? My irresistible charm?" Ariadne rolled her eyes and quickened the pace. Madame Pomfrey's office was just up the next flight of stairs. In her rush, she floated Draco right into a suit of armor, which protested loudly as it crashed to the floor. Over the din she could hear Harry laughing.

"Oh, shut it, scar face!" she spat. Harry raised a dark brow and smirked.

"Not as graceful as I thought, Miss Nocturne." he reached for her hand and helped her to her feet. The blush that flooded her cheeks was visible even in the darkness of the corridor.

"Whatever, Potter. Thanks for walking me here." Harry laughed at her hasty goodbye.

"Whatever you say, Ariadne. You're welcome." he whispered the last bit in her ear. Ariadne's heart began to race: _what was he doing?_

He kissed her cheek, quickly, the touch so brief she wasn't sure it had happened. Before she could growl her protests, Harry had slipped on the cloak and dissolved down the corridor.

XXX

Madame Pomfrey performed the counter-curse, and healed Draco's nose within ten minutes or so. Ariadne helped her stuff Draco into one of the hospital cots before the Madame went to bed.

"He'll be fine, deary. Probably frightened when he wakes, but he'll be fine. I'm off to bed now, goodnight!" with a sweep of her nightgown she disappeared into her dormitory. Ariadne sighed and turned her attention to the now-sleeping Malfoy.

"Well, hope you didn't see all that. I'm not sure if petrified people can. If you did, I know you'd never let me live it down. Prick." she flicked his still-puffy nose and he winced in his sleep.

XXX

**OC Form: **

**Name: **

**Gender: **

**Year/House:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality: **

**Lineage: **

**Pastimes/Best subject:**

**Rivalries/Worst subject:**

**History/Pet: **

**Wand type: **

**XXX**


	3. Brewing Trouble

**Hello people! **

**Check back in later chapters for OCs, not going to include until I get a couple more readers..**

**KEEP REVIEWING… it makes me write faster :D**

**Sorry about the shortness, but this is all I can get out with AP exams and finals coming up. Review! **

**XXX**

Draco Malfoy woke up with a screaming headache. It took the Slytherin a moment or two to realize he was in the hospital wing. A cursory glance at the clipboard on the nightstand told him that he had been checked in the night before. To his left were the large, paneled windows looking out over the Hogwarts Lake. To his right slept Ariadne Nocturne. Her hand supported her chin, and the mass of blonde hair tumbled across her face and down her arm messily. His pale eyes raked over her form hungrily. He wasn't sure if it was a potion Madam Pomfrey gave him, but it was one of the first times he did not feel jealousy or discontent when he looked at his fellow Slytherin. It might've been because she was sleeping, but Draco ruled that out. It was rubbish, the way that she infuriated him. She was always one step ahead.

As if hearing his mental ranting, the eyes of the young witch fluttered open slowly. Draco quickly slapped a scowl on his pale face and glared at his classmate.

"Why was I brought here, Nocturne?"

"Everyone realized you're mentally impaired at the same time. It was phenomenal." Draco shot up out of his covers and faced his rival.

"Don't tell me I've lost the duel to Taminama!" Draco kicked himself mentally. It was so embarrassing to lose to a half-blood. He couldn't imagine the horror of losing to a mudblood, either. Ariadne's eyes narrowed into slits as she hissed, "Yes, you prat, Hiro kicked your arse. And the way you looked, he's probably going to be transferred to Durmstrang. So, that being said, you're welcome for dragging your stupid sorry arse all the way from the dungeons!"

Draco's eyes widened involuntarily. He knew he had struck a nerve, and for a split second remorse stole across his stomach.

_Wait, remorse? _

He opened his mouth to apologize, but Ariadne had already left in an angry stupor.

XXX

"The both of them are to be branded as Death Eaters over the Christmas holiday." a dark voice hissed. The two sets of adults bowed before their serpentine master and nodded. An enormous snake slid from the billows of the Dark Lord's cloak and pooled in coils on the mahogany floors. It was raining at the Malfoy Manor that evening, and the roaring fire in the marble-cut hearth threw the shadows of the Death Eaters into sharp relief. Bellatrix Lestrange leaned against the hearth with her thin arms crossed, glaring out the window and into the distance. Around twelve or thirteen Death Eaters attended the meeting that night, including Crabbe, Goyle, the Malfoys, the Nocturnes, the Carrow siblings, Dolohov, FenrirGreyback, Yaxley, and Peter Pettigrew. The rodent-like animagus scuttled from seat to seat, refilling wine glasses and clearing plates.

"My lord, do you really think these two are ready for such duties? Killing Albus Dumbledore is quite a hefty task." Bellatrix cooed from the window. Voldemort's eyes darted to his subordinate and narrowed.

"We shall have to see, Bella." he laid a white hand on Nagini's head. "Together, they show spectacular potential. From what Snape has told me, the girl can produce a Patronus. This fact should prove useful when trying to masquerade as a 'good' Slytherin." Bellatrix shrugged in response and resumed staring out towards the grounds.

"Did you hear that, Mrs. Nocturne? Young Ariadne's Patronus is a lion!" a thin smile cracked across the Dark Lord's lips and the room erupted into laughter. Mrs. Nocturne, always a proud woman, grew red in anger.

"And since when could any of you produce a Patronus?" the laughter cut instantly, albeit Voldemort continued with a quiet chuckle.

"Moving along now, Nocturne. I need you and your husband to terrorize the Muggles in downtown London. I want to see deaths in the headlines. Get out of my sight."

With a firm nod, Adrian Nocturne clasped the small hand of his wife and they spun out of sight. "Now, Narcissa. With those two out of the picture, I need Ariadne to come here for the Christmas break. If the Nocturnes make it back alive, invite them. Ariadne must be here. That girl is too kind to be a Slytherin."

XXX

September ended without a grand flourish. An early snowstorm blanketed the grounds for three days straight. Ariadne watched the snow fall out of the single window in the Dungeons. Double potions with Gryffindor was getting arduous—today Snape demanded of them a near-perfect draught of Amortentia.

"We will be doing an interesting experiment with these tomorrow—so you'd better hope you brew it correctly." he leaned over Seamus Finnigan's cauldron and retched audibly—the smell of burning hair was pungent enough to choke a hippogriff.

Ariadne passively flipped to the page on Amortentia and rolled her eyes. The famed Amortentia project Snape always gave seventh years. It was rumored that Snape does something utterly embarrassing with them. She hoped he wouldn't reveal what was attractive to everyone. Malfoy grumbled at her side, surely a complaint about her making him get all of the ingredients. He shoved from his chair and yanked on his dragon hide gloves with a scowl.

"Oh, grow up. I always get the ingredients." Ariadne snapped.

"Everyone, please remember: '_P__owerful infatuations can be induced by the skillful potioneer, but never yet has anyone managed to create the truly unbreakable, eternal, unconditional attachment that alone can be called Love'._" with a flick of Snape's wand, the famous quote appeared on the chalkboard behind him. Draco came back with one Ashwinder egg, around seven rose thorns, a pinch of dried peppermint, some crushed moonstone powder, and the petals of a newly-bloomed belladonna flower.

"Put the Ashwinder in first." Ariadne ordered.

"Where does it say that, Nocturne?" the blonde raised an indignant brow.

"In the directions, you git! Now if you're going to muss up our potion, I'll do it myself! Make yourself useful and complete the worksheet!" Draco mocked her 'angry' voice and took the worksheet from his partner.

"Hand me all the ingredients before you soil them with your ugly." Malfoy's icy eyes narrowed as he swiped the ingredients across the lab table with his right arm.

"Bitch." he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"I said _witch,_ Nocturne."

"Oh, go suck a niffler then."

"Right after you, milady." Ariadne slapped her hand against the table, making the potion bubble dangerously close to the brim of their cauldron. With a scathing glare she added the rose thorns, which had been thoroughly crushed and mixed with the moonstone powder. The yolk of the Ashwinder egg broke from its shell and swirled with the clear liquid, flaring bright orange before darkening to the color of fresh blood.

"Miss Nocturne. Your potion is surprisingly….accurate. Did Granger help you?" Snape said suddenly, appearing from nowhere in a sweeping of cloaks.

"No, sir. Just following directions is all."

"Oh, really? I thought you were making it up as you went all this time. Good to see you not melting all of my spare cauldrons." with a sneer only Snape could give, he gave her potion a few stirs before stalking away.

"Well, all I have to do is add one pearl, and it's done." Ariadne was careful not to touch the pearl's surface with her fingers. Once the tiny sphere dropped into the brew, it dissolved instantly and the potion faded to a pale pink. The swirling, spiral-like tendrils of smoke curled from the brim of their cauldron. Ariadne smelled a chlorinated pool, the sharp scent of orange blossoms, and something…spicier…like cedar, or pine. Her nose wrinkled involuntarily.

"Smell something repugnant, Ari?" Blaise Zabini snickered. The smoke from his potion was billowing and a sickly green. "Maybe it's Malfoy's arse." Ariadne agreed half-heartedly. _Where have I smelled that scent before?_ Her mental concentration was broken by a sudden interjection.

"Here is the twist." Snape snatched a vial from the recesses of his robes and dipped it into Ariadne's cauldron. He plucked a greasy hair from his head and shoved it in the glass before pushing in the stopper. The tiny vial glowed a brilliant green before fading back into its pale pink predecessor.

"You all will insert a hair into your vial. Be sure to put the girls' vials on the left side of my desk, the boys' on my right, or there _will_ be some….interesting repercussions."

One by one the students collected vials of their Amortentia (or their attempts at Amortentia) and pushed their hair into them. A long, wavy strand of Ariadne's turned the potion a hot red before calming again. Draco's turned a dark blue, while Blaise and Hermione's both turned purple. Harry Potter's flashed gold, while Ron's settled into a chocolate tone. Every time a student presented a vial to Snape, he unstoppered it, sniffed it, and if it didn't match his expectations, he handed the student an "F" and an accurate vial of the potion.

"Add your DNA and put it in the pile." he droned. Once the piles were complete and the dungeon's surfaces were gleaming, a crooked smirk splayed across the stoic professor's face.

"And now…" he swished his wand and the two piles of vials began shifting rapidly, mixing within themselves and removing the name labels from their surfaces. Another lazy flick of Snape's wrist and the bottles reassembled in straight lines.

"On your way out today please take a vial from the correct section. I must see you drink it in front of me, or I'll assign a twenty-inch essay to _all of you._" Snape ignored the groans and growls of outrage and commenced handing out the samples.

Draco wanted to pick Ariadne's. He knew it. He walked up to his professor's oak desk and stared for a good three minutes at the rows of perfectly identical vials. He could choose Ariadne's, sure, but it was more likely he'd pick Parkinson's, knowing his luck. The young Slytherin squeezed his eyes shut and snatched one randomly. Snape's left eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.

The young Malfoy took this as a sign of encouragement and downed the bottle in one gulp.

XXX

Ariadne didn't start feeling the effects of the Amortentia until dinner time. As soon as the golden platters were overflowing with food, the mouthwatering scent of the cinnamon hit the Slytherin girl like a freight train. A moment of clarity informed her that no one had seen her little olfactory episode. In fact, it looked as if others were reacting similarly. She couldn't pinpoint the object of her artificial affections yet, and she felt the foggy, euphoric feeling begin to settle in her brain.

It was at that moment when Cormac McLaggen walked into the Great Hall. There was an unnamable gleam in his steely eyes—they scanned the entire hall until they landed on the witch beside her. She was tall-ish, with layered silver hair and glittering green eyes. Underneath her half-opened blazer was a Slytherin t-shirt, a checkered tie, and on her feet were silver vans. These chic punk-rock tones helped her diluted brain realize the fellow witch was Wyvern Silvers. Wyvern was a nice seventh year who was three beds away in the girls' dormitory. She was a positive person, and loved potions. When the girl realized that Cormac was striding toward her, her pale skin flushed red.

"Wyvern, Cormac got your potion!" her friend giggled. Wyvern shook her head furiously and almost began to cry.

"But I don't love him! I love…..I love….." she broke off as her eyes raked the masses of Hogwarts students. "Crabbe!" she sprinted from her place at the Slytherin table to tackle Crabbe to the floor. It was to no prevail, however, as he already was clawing at the leg of Millicent Bullstrode. Ariadne rolled her eyes and turned her attention toward her food.

She took three bites of her Salisbury steak when her blue-green eyes found Blaise Zabini.

XXX


	4. Hospital Wing Frequent Flier Miles

**Sorry for the delay, I just don't get enough reviews for this story to keep me inspired or going..*sigh* but the ones who do review, thank you! OC'S ARE CLOSED.**

**XXX**

The Salisbury steak Ariadne was eating fell from her white teeth like a miniature meat waterfall. It dropped onto her plate ungracefully. The girl's green-blue eyes dilated until her pupils were huge pools of blackness.

"Blaise." her gravy-covered lips could barely form the word. She studied his chocolate skin, the way his jaw curved, his shoulder blades. As if he was carved from marble. Dark, _sexy_ marble. His eyes caught hers and a fire was ignited in her belly. It was a searing sensation that rippled from her toes to the crown of her head. The boy did not react to Ariadne's stares or anyone else, for that matter. He merely sat across from her and began piling food onto an empty plate.

"Blaise…what're you doing after dinner?" Ariadne cooed, taking the fork from Blaise's hand so as to grab his attention. His eyes snapped to hers and suddenly something clicked. Blaise launched himself across the table and knocked Ariadne from the bench. His lips were locked in hers even before they toppled to the floor.

"Severus! Severus, control your students at once!" Professor McGonagall barked, pointing her wand at random couples to separate them. Severus raised an indifferent brow and shook his head.

"I do this experiment every year, Minerva, and I must ask if it's ever changed over time." McGonagall shook her head and stamped out of the hall.

Dumbledore walked into the hall inhabited with only seventh years and didn't even bat an eye. The headmaster walked through the calamity as if it didn't even exist. He approached Severus and made a suggestion.

"Perhaps you lock them here for the night. Remember last year, when everyone caught pneumonia from skinny dipping in the lake? Keep them confined. Like…livestock. Yes. Livestock." Dumbledore turned on his heel and walked back out of the hall. Snape ruminated his boss' idea for awhile—it made the most sense. He'd give them all an antidote in the morning.

So the Potions Master extinguished the flames of the torches, cast a spell that would make the students' clothes irremovable, moved the tables aside, and locked the great hall's doors.

He let the insanity begin.

XXX

Over in a corner, Draco Malfoy perched on one of the many statues in the great hall. He kept cracking his knuckles frantically—where was Ariadne? He was sure Snape had shown him the right one—once he saw her he knew he'd fall head over heels, like the other da—

The other day? Since when did he fall head over heels for a girl like Ariadne? He scoffed to himself and stayed hidden from Hermione Granger. The girl wouldn't stop casting tracking spells and summoning charms to find him. The goofy look on her thin mouth made her look even more unattractive. It was pitch black in the hall, for Merlin's sakes.

He squinted in the darkness and finally his eyes found her white-blonde tresses—being tangled by long dark fingers. _Blaise._ In a rage, he leapt from the statue and landed on Neville Longbottom trying to kiss Hermione.

"Good. That should keep her occupied." he whispered to himself. He practically ran over to Blaise and Ariadne. His anger flared red-hot when she looked thoroughly satisfied.

"Zabini! What are you doing with my woman?" he half-shouted. Blaise broke away from Ariadne, panting hard and putting on an incredulous face.

"She's not yours, I got her potion!" Blaise growled.

"You sonofabitch, there was only one potion and I got it!" Malfoy's hair, which was eternally smooth and in place, began falling out of place as his voice rose. Blaise opened his mouth to protest but no sound came out, as a random Ravenclaw walked by, looking lost and alone. Blaise's gaze went glassy and he dropped Ariadne like a hot iron to chase the other girl. Ariadne screamed as her head smacked the marble. Draco rushed to her side and cupped her face with his pale hand. To his dismay, she began squirming to free herself from his grip.

"Blaise just left me like that! Why would he do that!" she fumed. "What does that little bird have that I don't? Blue robes? Does that sick effer have a thing for blue? Well why doesn't he just _take a look at my goddamned eyes!_ For the love of God!" Fat tears rolled from the aforementioned eyes and crashed onto her cheeks. Malfoy leaned down and kissed each tear off of her face.

"Drink this, Ariadne. You'll feel better about Blaise." his touch was tender as he guided the vial to her trembling lips. She drank the antidote and soon her features had cleared of discontent and fear. Draco was endlessly glad he stole a vial of the potion before Snape could see. She then fell asleep soon after. Draco lifted her up and carried her away from the boisterous bickering of love triangles—or pentagons, for that matter—and brought her to the tables, where a miniature stronghold of sorts was accidentally constructed. He put Ariadne down and moved to lie beside her. Instinctually she laid her head on his chest, and was soothed by the sound of his strong heart.

XXX

Draco Malfoy spent the remainder of the "experiment" watching Ariadne sleep. Sure, the fog of the Amortentia made him a bit crazy at times—but her cloying scent and gorgeous face slowed him down. He needed to take in that scent—she smelled like lilies and coconut—a tropical, fruity smell that encompassed a myriad of flavors. He wasn't sure if his sense of smell was acute while the Amortentia was in effect—but he realized he could smell her shampoo, her skin, and the chalky smell of her eyeshadow. It all combined to form the essence of Ariadne. The enchanting, intoxicating vapors that would assault his brain time after time, sending wave after wave of olfactory pleasure. It was to die for.

XXX

Snape came at sunrise and cured the lovesick seventh years. He even decided to wipe their memories, lest they be embarrassed at their actions from the previous night. He graded each of them as they walked out of the door and to the dormitories to sleep.

Ariadne wondered why Draco followed her so closely. He didn't get her potion—or did he? She couldn't really remember much…

The trip down to the dungeons was virtually silent, many of the Slytherins were stumbling with fatigue. Wyvern walked next to Ariadne and complained of the taste of baked goods in her mouth.

"I don't remember eating éclairs—or cupcakes, for that matter." Behind them, Crabbe licked the last bit of frosting from the corner of his mouth. A lot of the younger years were walking out of the dungeons, looking at the seventh years with confused eyes.

"What're you all looking at?" Malfoy hissed. "Go to class and stop staring!"

With those words, everyone hurried to their destination. Ariadne finally made it to her bed and slid into the covers with a sigh.

XXX

The next day was Saturday—and Quidditch practice started at dawn. The weather was supposed to bring rain and possibly sleet, so the Slytherin team wanted to get as much flying in before the storm arrived. Draco and Ariadne were the last out of the locker rooms, as usual. The female student plaited her long hair against her head and secured it with an elastic headband. Draco was merely waiting for Ariadne to finish.

"What're you looking for?" she asked idly, pushing a loose strand into the braid with a bobby pin. Draco, caught doing nothing, suddenly pretended to look for his keeper gloves, which were actually inside his uniform pocket.

"Malfoy, stop stalking me, you've been shadowing me like a dementor! Leave me alone!" she snapped, exiting the locker room with broom in hand. Outside, the dark clouds were rolling in quickly. It was still dark—dawn hadn't arrived, but the sky was considerably darker than usual. Ariadne kicked off the ground and was tossed a bat by her fellow Beater. She warmed up with a couple of laps around the arena and stretched her swinging arm.

"All right, everyone! Scrimmage time." Malfoy was airborne and calling the shots now. The Slytherin team divided and began a miniature game. Crabbe and Goyle complained about the cold, and Ariadne spent the majority of the game smacking bludgers in their direction. After about an hour of flying in the darkness, dawn came and brought no sunshine. Instead, it brought a rain that drenched the entire campus.

Draco called practice off early and everyone rushed to escape the storm before the thunder and lightning hit. Ariadne didn't really feel like coming down, so she flew higher into the clouds, relishing the feeling of the rain pelting her skin, the boom of thunder and rolling lightning. It flashed brilliantly, and dangerously close to her. She dove headfirst to the ground and pulled back too late. She tumbled from her broom and hit the wet grass, thankful that the team had left the stadium and hadn't witnessed her twist her ankle. Draco would surely kill her for this. She rubbed her throbbing head and looked at the locker room entrance. Glaring at her through the doorway was Draco.

He stomped over to her and began shouting.

"Are you out of your bloody mind, woman! How are you supposed to play with your ankle busted up?"

"Shut up, you git! Madame Pomfrey can heal it in an instant! So shut your trap." she spat indignantly. She tried to stand up but fell back down into the mud. Draco suppressed a laugh and reached down to carry her.

"You should be thanking me." Draco grunted. Her weight wasn't too bad, but the wet grounds were a different story. Manipulating the wet grass was tough alone, and doubly difficult with the burden of another person. He finally made it to the Hospital Wing, soaking wet and cold to the bone. He dumped her without grace onto a bed and turned on his heel to leave.

XXX

A month or so after the Quidditch pitch mishap, the Slytherin team was well on their way to being in first place. Their chasers were always able to sneak the Quaffle past MacLaggen _and_ Weasley. But athletics aside, the Slytherins spent a majority of their Seventh Year in classes. Ariadne was stuck with Draco in every single one. Even if she stayed after and asked the Professors to switch their seat, the rotations would change and she would be paired with Draco once more.

One day, in Herbology, the Seventh Years were pitted against the Choleric Caesalia plant. Each plant was given to a pair of students to successfully prune. If they pruned the correct leaves, the plant would grow and flower with bright purple blooms. If the wrongs stems were snipped, the plant could do anything from spewing fire to a toxic poison in the face of the unfortunate Herbologist.

Draco and Ariadne's plant would hiss in warning whenever a pair of clippers came near.

"Damnit! Why does everything always hate me and not you!" he groaned. Ariadne took Draco's gloved hand and guided it to a safe leaf. He snipped it off and it fell into the collecting bin. Draco then took the pliers in his own hands and clipped the one right above it. It got angry and burst with spores that latched onto Ariadne's—not Draco's—skin. Wherever they sunk beneath the surface a huge bruise formed. The spore then broke free of the skin and dissipated in the air.

"DRACO! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Ariadne screeched. She punched him in the arm and he fell from his seat.

"Damn, you try to do something nice for a woman.."

"What exactly were you doing, Draco?" she retorted hotly. "Trying to find the leaf that would kill me? Do everyone a favor?" with a fierce glare she ran toward Professor Sprout to find an antidote.

XXX

**Yeahhh so I have writer's block, so here's a little chapter to hold you guys over. How about some suggestions? Or a plot twist? I've got to fill in some time between now (October in the story) until Christmas break. So submit ideas and I'll credit you.**

**Much love, Katie. **


	5. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Hello all, **

**I'll try to update as frequently as I can.**

**I NOTICEDDD I said it was December in a previous chapter—I'll fix it. It's supposed to be Halloween right now and I said December -_- sorryyy! **

**Enjoy!**

**XXX**

As October wound down to its end, posters for the annual Halloween Ball were plastered over message boards throughout the school. The dance was reserved for those in Fifth Year and above. With the ball coming quickly, many a student were fretting over costumes and dates. A trip to Hogsmeade was set up that Wednesday, only two days before the actual ball.

Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins all crowded Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Honeydukes, and the Three Broomsticks.

Ariadne was seated with the Golden Trio at one of the battered wooden tables in the bar. She ran her finger along the rim of her near-empty butterbeer and was deep in thought. She glanced at her hand and saw the last of the Choleric Caesalia bruises disappearing. Maybe she had overreacted to the incident—Draco was only trying to help, right? She shook her head angrily.

_Sure, that may be true. But nothing could make me apologize to the "Slytherin Prince." _she seethed.

She stopped her mental rampage and listened to Hermione prattle off about suspicions and their plot to stop the Dark Lord. They always connected everything to Malfoy, which was ridiculous to Ariadne.

"That little git couldn't harm a half-blood if he tried. He only seemed to be good at pestering Pure Bloods like me." she cut in. Hermione's mouth fell open a little and her thick brows furrowed.

"A-are you sure? We've got strong leads that tie the weird incidents to him." she insisted.

"Like what?" Ariadne mused. "Trust me, Draco is up to absolutely nothing. He actually spends most of his time scheming how to get rid of Pansy Parkinson." Ariadne pointed a slender finger toward Draco's table—where Pansy clutched onto Draco like a lifeline. Her bright pink nails dug into the arm of his robe and the pain must've made Draco extremely annoyed and or uncomfortable. Blaise was at his side, pretending like he wasn't staring at Ariadne whenever he thought she wasn't looking. Ariadne rolled her eyes at him and returned to the conversation.

"Ari, how can you be sure?" Harry asked. "How often do you see what he's doing?" Ariadne gave the "Chosen One" a withered look.

"Hello, we sit next to each other in every class, eat at the same House Table, and are on the same Quidditch team. I'm practically glued to the idiot."

The Trio took this as a reliable statement and went on discussing secrets of the Order.

"Do you want me to leave? I can, y'know, if you're telling secrets and stuff." she offered. Hermione touched her hand, which would've repulsed any other pure blood, and shook her head.

"You can stay. We'd actually love to hire you as a spy." Ariadne rolled her blue-green eyes once more.

"I'll do it, but I'm telling you, you're wasting your time. Draco is innocent." she chugged the dregs of her third butterbeer and left the Three Broomsticks.

"Hell, that girl can drink!" Ron marveled. A vein in Hermione's forehead bulged and Harry decided to change the subject before things got nasty.

XXX

Ariadne walked into Honeydukes to pick up some of her favorite sweets. She loved the classic chocolate—sure, but she also loved a good bag of Bernie Bott's or Honeyduke's self-popping popcorn. Not a ton of students were in the small sweet shop, just a few ravenclaws and a pack of Gryffindors. One Ravenclaw she recognized from their Quidditch team—a fifth year by the name of Aaron Reyes. He was browsing Honeyduke's gummy candy selection, and settled on the chewy snakes to purchase. He was a bit taller than Ariadne, about 5'7", with broad shoulders and brown hair that settled on his forehead in choppy pieces. He caught her gaze—she noticed his eyes were a light blue. They were warm and inquisitive, and asked the question before his mouth opened: why are you staring at me?

Ariadne broke eye contact and continued reading the ingredients to her chocolate. Soon she felt a presence behind her and realized it was Aaron. She turned around too quickly and ran smack into the Fifth Year's chest. They stumbled back, fell on the floor, and proceeded to knock over an entire display of edible playing cards.

"This is…uh….a funny way to meet someone." Aaron mumbled. Ariadne's answering blush burned her cheeks a brilliant red.

"Sorry, you scared me!" she accused. Aaron gave her a knowing smirk and a wink.

"Not likely, Nocturne. You're one of the most alert Quidditch players on your team. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you did that on purpose. Just to be on top of me." he winked. The Slytherin's blush deepened at his remark.

"Shut up, Reyes. You're just a fifth year." she growled. Aaron shrugged and retorted: "Doesn't mean I don't know how to do things." Just what "things" this statement entailed Ariadne had no inclination to know. She helped herself up and picked up the card display with a flick of her wand. As she left the shop, she heard the bells on the door ring and turned to see Aaron stick his head out.

"Nocturne! Do you have a date to the Halloween Bash?" he asked. Ariadne thought it over for a moment and shrugged.

"No, I don't. Are you asking me to go?" she raised a brow in question. Aaron blushed slightly and nodded. To his extreme surprise, she accepted, and turned on her boot to walk away.

"And it's _Ariadne, _not Nocturne!"

XXX

Word eventually reached Malfoy that Ariadne wasn't available to take to the ball. He stomped and fumed around the boys' dormitory while Blaise waited quietly for his friend to finish.

"You could take Parkinson." he suggested. "You know she's _always_ available." Draco stopped in his pacing to glare at his friend.

"It's bad enough that you're the bearer of bad news," he walked over to the window. "But now you're telling me to ask _Parkinson. _This is the same Pansy Parkinson who's pretending that I'm her boyfriend and that someday we'll be married!" he says, thoroughly disgusted with the thought. Blaise shrugged and tried to explain that it was only a harmless suggestion. Draco rolled his icy eyes and calmed down significantly—the sarcasm seemed to do that.

"C'mon, it's time for Divination anyways," Blaise stood and scooped up his messenger bag. "It's one of the few subjects Ariadne is terrible in. You're always excited to watch her struggle! Cheer up!" Draco mulled over this truth and also grabbed his books.

XXX

Going through Professor Trelawney's trap door was always a struggle—especially for First Years. A majority of the small legs and arms couldn't reach either distance. The Slytherins and Gryffindors followed suit—some of the taller boys had to bow their heads in order to avoid hitting the ceiling. As Malfoy opened the trapdoor, the cloying stench of incense hit him like a wall. He hated Divination with a passion. The ornate carpets that were draped over the walls—posters of strange creatures and constellations, and the worst of all, the little crystal balls that had blue mist swirling in them. He was a bit relieved to see the same expression of displeasure on Ariadne's face.

"Today we will be taking a closer look at Tarot cards." Professor Trelawney began. With a swish of a crooked-looking oak wand, deck upon deck of Tarot cards divided amongst the pairs of students. Draco and Ariadne lunged for their deck at the same time, and ended up scattering the pile all over their table and the floor surrounding them.

"Damn you, Malfoy! They're in a specific order!" she took her constellation book and smacked Draco across the head with it. He nursed the budding bruise and shoved Ariadne from her seat. She crashed into Harry Potter, seated at the table beside them, and started a miniature chain reaction in the cramped classroom.

"Who started this calamity!" Trelawney squealed. "You're disturbing the energy of the room! Our aura is no longer pink!" she snapped. Another flick of her wand reset the desks and cards and students. The remainder of the class period involved Draco and Ariadne's horrific futures, including gruesome deaths and dark purposes. Each time the pair of them was called on, they fumbled for answers.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I don't know what's likely to happen when Jupiter is in Scorpio, whatever that means." Ariade sighed. And with each incorrect response, Trelawney took five points from Slytherin.

The hour was too long to take, in their opinion.

XXX

A short while later, the lunch tables of the Great Hall were filled with sandwiches, soups, and other light snacks. Ariadne sat with Ellie, the Slytherin first year, and Wyvern. The owls with the day's post swooped in just then, dropping parcels and letters on unsuspecting students. Ariadne almost was beheaded by a large package that fell into her lap. The neat script on the attached letter told her Hiro had sent it to her.

"Hiro!" she shouted. Half of the Slytherin table looked to see what the commotion was, causing Ariadne to sink into her seat and blush.

The letter was sad and sweet.

_To my Ariadne, _

_Well, this sucks. No thanks to Prat-co Malfoy, I'm currently attending Durmstrang Academy. The uniforms here are an ugly burgundy, and the Quidditch team is fine and all, but there's no one who could cover my back like you. The worst part is is that there aren't any girls here. Even though I've always had eyes for a particular type—now I won't even be able to be picky. We do events with Beauxbatons every once in awhile, but I'd rather have girls around all the time. The only females on campus are owls, and the females in the Care of Magical Creatures class. _

_One plus is that they have a better music program. With my guitar I've become one of the top in the class! That's great and all, but I'm more upset about the other subjects. They're way more strict here than at Hogwarts. Many of their students don't even get passing marks on N.E.W.T.S. _

_Currently, there are rumors that the three European Wizarding schools are going to be doing something near the end of the year. I hope I get to see you then, Ariadne, because I have to tell you what's been eating at me for the last seven years. _

_The day I met you on Platform 9 ¾, my life changed. I saw your eyes and your hair and I knew things were different. I knew my abusive parents didn't matter much. I had to become your friend, at first for your beauty but then for your heart. _

_I know that this is probably bad timing, since I'm already gone, but I regret never saying goodbye. All these years you've stood by me, and made me proud to be the Slytherin I was once ashamed of being. I tore out the patch from my robes and kept all of the letters and notes we used to pass in class. Call me weird, but it's these pieces that hold more value than a picture of my parents and me. _

_I love you, Ariadne. You're gorgeous, athletic, and smart. Not a lot of people can be all three. Sure, you can't do well in Divination, or Herbology, either. But you've got a way with people that make them understand what's bigger—what's important. Don't ever let go of that._

_And don't let go of me, either._

_Much love, _

_Hiro _

Fat tears spilled from her eyes and onto the parchment in her shaking hands. This was surely out of left field, as Americans liked to put it. She accidentally dropped the letter into her French Onion soup and cursed loudly.

Wyvern, who had secretly been reading over Ariadne's shoulder, pat her on the back comfortingly. Today she had looped her silver hair into a sloppy ponytail, and instead of a checkered shirt she had on an emerald green oxford.

Ellie took the parchment from Ariadne, who was too busy crying to notice, and scanned the letter quickly.

"Oh, how romantic! A long lost love!" she sighed.

"Lost? How is it _lost_, Ellie?" Wyvern asked, narrowing her eyes as a signal to shut up. Ellie threw up her hands defensively and shrugged—how was she supposed to know?

"So Ellie," Wyvern quickly changed the subject. "Are you and Arnold talking again?" Ellie's face darkened as she shook her head.

"He doesn't like talking to me anymore. We used to be best friends but now he thinks I'm evil or something."

"Don't worry, Ellie. He'll come around." Wyvern assured her. The two older witches looked at the First Year sadly. It seemed as if boy troubles were plentiful that lunch period. And they were just beginning. Draco slid into the seat across from the three Slytherin girls, flanked by Blaise and Theodore Nott. They all had accusatory expressions on their faces.

"So you're going to the Halloween Bash tomorrow with a fifth year." Draco spat. It was neither a question nor a statement—just a biting remark that was a mix of the two. Ariadne's thin brows furrowed and she nodded tersely.

"Yes, and what's it to you, Malfoy?" she retorted. Draco obviously hadn't worked out the conversation in his mind past this point, so he improvised.

"Well, goodness, Nocturne, didn't know you'd stoop so low." Wyvern opened her mouth to protest but Ariadne touched her arm to calm her.

"Draco, you're not Aaron Reyes, and I understand the flaming jealousy you must harbor because of this fact. But face it, Draco. I'm not going with you and I wouldn't want to. Why else would you be sitting here, spitting in my face, unless you were jealous that you didn't get to ask me first!"

During her rant she failed to notice the countless pairs of eyes that had followed her up and out of her seat.

"_What_ are you all gawking at?" she demanded. She grabbed her book bag and shoved the rest of her turkey sandwich into her mouth, wheeling to exit the Great Hall dramatically. Draco could only sit there with an undying blush and the feeling of being watched.

XXX

"Soon, Bellatrix. Soon. Remember, we are bringing them in over the winter holiday." Voldemort assured her. Bellatrix paced the Italian marble floors of the Malfoy home incessantly, almost obsessively. She wanted Dumbledore dead as soon as possible.

"They're just kids. I still think you should let me do it, milord." she insisted. Her veil of black curls was especially wild today, matching her disheveled mood perfectly. Voldemort closed his eyes slowly and explained the prophecy once more.

"The two children with white hair shall destroy the one with the Elder Wand." Voldemort recited. "They in turn will bow to the snake and bring the world down with them."

"The children with white hair?" Bellatrix snorted. "Ariadne and Draco are blonde." Voldemort almost killed her on the spot, but he set down his Holly-and-Phoenix-feather wand and decided to spare her. He needed evil like her, after all.

"There are rumors that the Potter boy and his two friends are dropping out once the new year starts. Dumbledore's got a 'special plan' for the three of them. Send an owl to Severus immediately to investigate." Bellatrix slapped a scowl on her face. She hated Severus, she never trusted that greasy-haired mudblood lover. But she bit her tongue and clenched her fists to obey her master.

Voldemort rose in a billow of robes and walked to the other room in the Malfoy manor. Inside, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy stood over two bodies. They laid still in glass caskets, with unblinking eyes and calm expressions. Narcissa was crying.

"Oh, Narcissa, don't be sad. Disobedience has its price." he touched her shoulder and she shrunk away from the Dark Lord's touch. She didn't understand such needless bloodshed. Her thin fingers ran the length of the first black coffin—which served home to a small woman with brown hair. Her eyes were open and the brilliant shade of jade they'd always been—but they no longer sparkled. Violeta Nocturne was forever silenced at the hand of Voldemort. Beside her, as he was in life, was her husband. The strong and proud man's blond hair was cropped short to his head, and his slate grey eyes were hard and determined. Such expression. Such waste.

"Ariadne will be devastated." Narcissa whispered. Her husband agreed and put his arms around his wife. The Nocturnes were good family friends, and always willing to watch Draco whenever they had wanted to go out for the night.

_They cared too deeply for a forsaken cause._ Lucius thought.

XXX


	6. Stripped of All Dignity

**The highly anticipated Halloween Bash! Woot. Sorry to the creators of Aaron Reyes, he's actually a seventh year and it's my mistake! D: **

**So AARON REYES, RAVENCLAW, IS IN SEVENTH YEAR. I changed the other chapter to match.**

**A THOUSAND PARDONS, PLEASE**

**Review and Enjoy!**

**XXX**

Aaron waited patiently for Ariadne in the Great Hall. He was dressed as Count Axel Ferguson, and she was dressed as Marie Antoinette. Both were Muggles, sure, but their message and meaning were why they chose matching costumes. Marie Antoinette represents rebellion and carelessness, which is what Ariadne was going for when she decided to go with Aaron to the ball. Aaron liked being "the other guy" and bothering Draco, so he chose Axel, Marie Antoinette's adulterer.

Ariadne entered, her white-blonde hair styled in a curly half-updo. A messy bun sat at the nape of her neck, with the remainder of her hair tumbling down in curls. She bewitched a pair of white dress robes to look like a French-made evening gown. Aaron complemented the lacy, low-cut dress with a slimming black tuxedo, top hat, and dress shoes. He took her hand and kissed it just as Malfoy walked in with Parkinson. She had a disgustingly pink pair of dress robes on, finished with glittery wings stuck to her back. Draco came as a vampire—he did nothing to change his appearance but rub some dark makeup under his eyes and transfigure his teeth so they'd become pointy for awhile.

He made the mistake of looking over at Ariadne and watched her be swooned by a Ravenclaw. _A Ravenclaw!_ It was already bad enough he couldn't go with Ariadne—he _had_ to listen to Blaise and take Pansy. She gripped his forearm like a lifeline and whispered in his ear. Her breath was hot and sour and it pooled on his neck. He resisted the urge to wipe the spittle away.

"Drakie! I want to go dance!" she whined. He could feel his blood pressure rising as he led his date inside. The Great Hall was unrecognizable. Fog covered the floor and the ceilings were black and endless. Floating pumpkins, ghouls, and candles alike gave the hall a soft, eerie glow. They served pumpkin pastries, cauldron cakes, and countless types of candy. A large ice punch bowl served many—and Madame Rosemerta from the Three Broomsticks manned a miniature version of her tavern by the eastern wall.

There were rumors that The Weird Sisters were playing at the ball—which turned out to be true—but they weren't the only performer onstage. Warming up for The Weird Sisters was none other than Slytherin's own Wyvern Slivers. She had dropped the punk chic garb for a nymph's costume. Her dress was short and brown—textured to look like bark. Real blooming flowers breathed in her silver hair and vines gently coiled around her pale limbs. She cleared her throat once and began singing a very popular Muggle song: "Someone Like You" by Adele. Her voice was soft at first, but soon grew in strength and emotion.

_"I heard that you're settled down, that you found a girl…and you're married now." _The quick tempo the ball previously held slowed down into a slow dance. Aaron pulled Ariadne gently to the dance floor and rested his hands on her waist. They swayed to Wyvern's gentle serenade.

_"Old friend why are you so shy? Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light." _

Tentatively, almost hesitantly, Ariadne leaned her head on Aaron's chest. She listened to his strong heartbeat. She knew Reyes was a half-blood. That didn't make his heart sound any different than hers. It pumped the blood that was "diluted" by pureblood standards just the same as hers did. She looked up into endless blue eyes and she felt her stomach twist wildly. She barely knew Aaron, so why was she reacting so shyly? Childishly? Was she afraid?

_"I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited..__  
__But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.__  
__I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded__  
__That for me it isn't over…"_

Across the dance floor, Draco had positioned himself so he could see Ariadne and Aaron at all times. The song Wyvern sang was downright beautiful, in Draco's opinion, but it hung in his heart like an iron weight. He sunk inside as she leaned into the Ravenclaw. He felt defeated and cheated—like his opportunity was leaving.

His worries completely blocked out Pansy, who was latched onto Draco's midsection. Her cheap perfume reeked, and fogged the Slytherin Prince's train of thought. He glared down at her involuntarily. He was surprised he hadn't gotten the urge to vomit yet.

_"Never mind__  
__I'll find someone like you__  
__I wish nothing but the best for you too__  
__"Don't forget me," I begged__  
__"I'll remember," you said__  
__"Sometimes it lasts in love__  
__But sometimes it hurts instead"_

Wyvern repeated the last few choruses with an amazing vocal range. She winked at her date—Theodore Nott, from onstage. He was staring at her, mouth agape, unable to believe that the same Wyvern he asked out of desperation was up singing the sad love song. His eyes grew wide and his pupils large—he couldn't get enough.

Once she finished, she took a bow as the upperclassmen of Hogwarts screamed for more. She shrugged and handed over the limelight to the main singer of The Weird Sisters, who dissolved the heartbroken air with a fast-paced club song. Soon students broke from the giddiness (or pain) of love and lost themselves in the music. Ariadne and Aaron were having a good time together. They received many compliments on their costumes, albeit a couple of teachers scolded them for breaking dress code.

Throughout the dance, Draco's mood spiraled downward.

_How could she have so much fun with him? Doesn't she realize what's right in front of her? _He asked himself angrily. _I mean, I fought so hard to be sitting near her in every class. I've done everything I can._

A smaller part of him, the more rational side, bristled in discomfort.

_You git! _It snarled. _You've been nothing but an arse to her! _

"Well, isn't that supposed to attract them? Like a chase?"

_Stupid. You hurt her feelings. You _annoy _her. What kind of girl wants negative attention?_

Draco looked down to the girl draped over his arm in answer.

XXX

Staring intently at Ariadne Nocturne and Aaron Reyes was an irritated Ravenclaw. She felt as if the bitchy blonde from Slytherin was stealing Aaron away from her. Sure, perhaps she had never presented herself to him in the past, but bloody hell, she was going to! Miss Blondie just got there before she could make a move!

Charlie Mitchell sat at a table, alone, with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her black cat Noir sat in her lap, fast asleep despite the booming music. Charlie was fuming at the two of them. They looked so good together, so sappy and flirtatious. It sickened her. She leaned back to stretch her neck and got her ponytail stuck in a bowl of caramel sauce. With an enraged face, she wrung out her long blonde hair and narrowed her green eyes at the pair of them. She hoped Aaron didn't witness it.

A group of Fifth Years came to steal the table she sat at, but one wry glare from Charlie warded them off. With a satisfied smirk she dipped her finger in the caramel sauce and had a taste. It was quite good, even though it would probably destroy her hair.

XXX

Ariadne and Aaron slid breathlessly into a red leather booth. They split an ice cream sundae, complete with chocolate sauce, chopped nuts, and a big red cherry on top. They idly talked of how fun the ball was and how tired they both were.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't London's hottest couple." Draco sneered. He walked by with Parkinson and pretended as if they were busy at the punch table.

"Do you have a problem, Draco?" Ariadne hissed. Draco turned around with a bemused look and rolled his eyes.

"Please don't fraternize with me, Nocturne. Not while you're talking to the half-blood."

"Hey, jackass! Just because you're Pureblood doesn't mean you're any better than me at Quidditch, school, or just being a good person." Aaron shot back.

"Is that a challenge then, Reyes? Do I have to embarrass you in front of our classmates? In front of Miss Nocturne over here?" Ariadne's face was scrunched and taut. She was _pissed. _Draco ignored her expression and pulled his wand out from underneath his robes.

"Let's duel." he challenged. "Outside in the courtyard." Reyes instantly agreed, producing his 11 ½ inch Ivory wand from a pocket in his tuxedo.

The moon was full that Halloween night—illuminating the courtyard as well as lamps wood. The light was bright blue and brilliant, throwing the contours of Ariadne's livid features into sharp relief. She stood by the door of the Great Hall with disdain. The two wizards, whose real reasons for dueling were painfully obvious (cough, Ariadne, cough) as they took their ten paces. Reyes turned on his left foot but Draco had cheated and was already on him.

"_Reducto_!" Draco screamed. Reyes found himself flying in the air until he connected hard with the stone floor.

"_Avis_!" Aaron countered. A flock of lethal-looking birds were conjured from thin air. He followed the charm with, "_Oppugno_!" Malfoy found himself swatting at the birds, who tried to peck his eyes out and eat him raw.

"_Confringo_!" and just like that, the birds Aaron produced were burning into ash.

Aaron then cast _Deprimo, _a powerful wind that strips the object of anything that covers it. He would have hit Draco if the flaming birds he had conjured hadn't hit his arm at the last moment. The spell flew toward Ariadne faster than she could react, and in an instant, her clothes were ripped to shreds. Ribbons of blood burst from her olive skin—the wind was so frigid and harsh that it cut her.

She screamed—partly in pain—but mostly because she was naked.

XXX_  
_


	7. Salty Tears, Spuds, and Shame

**Ohh, my. Thanks for all of the reviews! Your support makes me want to write more more more.**

**If you've got nothing to do, check out my new story, "Lifeline" AND tell me what you think!**

**Btw, if you like DracoxOC, take a look here: **

.net/s/7117299/1/Hear_Me_Now by WatchThisShit

**it's got a promising start!**

**So here we go.**

**XXX**

Ariadne's dress fell to pieces at her feet. The white lace and gorgeous satin were destroyed—along with her undergarments. She screamed and quickly tried to mend the clothes, and once she realized this was futile, she cast a disillusionment charm on herself. She sprinted, naked but invisible, the entire way to the dungeons. The blonde put on a pair of normal robes and fresh, un-annihilated underwear and slumped into an armchair. No one was in the common room.

Outside of the portrait hole, Draco and Aaron were in a raging fit.

"You git! You ripped all her clothes off! What are you, some kind of pervert?" Draco growled. The duel had been split up by Professor Snape, who banned the two Seventh Years from the last hour of the ball. Aaron, in anger, followed Draco to the dungeons.

"Will you just go back to your tower, you mangy bird?" Draco snarled. Aaron shrugged and said he needed to speak to Ariadne.

"You can talk to her later, _I _for one need to go to bed and try not to dream about the disgusting display of dancing you and Nocturne partook in. Took me three tries to swallow the bile that rose in my throat." his long white fingers grazed his neck for emphasis. Aaron rolled his eyes again and shoved Draco aside once he had opened the portrait hole.

"Hey, asshole! That's _my _common room entrance!" the blond whined.

"Not anymore, it isn't." Aaron walked straight to Ariadne, who was petting a small white cat in her lap. When she caught his gaze, he saw her makeup had run and that her eyes were red and puffy. The cat hissed and ran away to the dormitory once Aaron approached.

"Ariadne, have you been crying? I didn't mean to hit you with my spells. I promise I wasn't trying to strip you." Aaron sat on the arm of the chair and hooked some of her long hair behind her ear. She turned away at his touch. He sighed and whispered, "I didn't mean to ruin your pretty dress or your night. Will you forgive me?" Ariadne shrugged and pushed his hand away.

"Leave me alone, please. I just want to be left alone." her tiny voice broke on the last syllable. Aaron respected his date's wishes and left the common room with a heavy heart. Draco sat opposite of Ariadne, watching the whole exchange unfold. The contours of his face were illuminated by the only light source the room: the fireplace. Its orange glow cancelled out the cold look on the boy's face.

"Why did you have to get in a bloody duel, you prat?" Ariadne snapped. With the sleeve of her robe she smudged the black makeup from her wet eyes. A single tear she missed rolled into her mouth and the salt was bitter to the tongue. "You couldn't just let me be for a single night? What does it matter if I date other people? Why does it matter so, _so_ much that you'd have to ruin my happiness?" she demanded. Draco, who always had a comeback or something to say, found that his lips would not form words. There really wasn't a rational answer to any of her inquiries.

"You're my rival, Nocturne. I didn't like the way he was touching you was all." Draco's stomach twisted, he didn't enjoy calling Ariadne his rival. Or lying to her, for that matter.

"Rival?" Another twist of the stomach—Draco knew his lie was obvious. It wasn't fair that she could smell a lie a mile away. "Is that how you see me? Draco, you and I have known each other since we were children. Out of respect, couldn't you manage to get out of my life and leave me be?" There was no hint of banter or sarcasm in her voice. Ariadne was serious. Draco felt his mouth fall open a little and his heart fall into his ankles. The forever-tolerant Ariadne was finally fed up with him. It took fifteen years, but she was finally done.

"No, Ariadne. I can't." he found himself saying. Ariadne began a slew of curses but stopped short when Draco whispered, "I need to have you in my life." It was as if Draco pressed "mute" on the Slytherin girl's voice. She was speechless. A hot blush pooled in both of their faces.

"You…do?" she eventually asked. Draco stuttered and reddened deeply, standing up and making a beeline for the boys' dormitory. He left Ariadne as confused and shocked as ever.

XXX

After washing her puffy face an hour later, Ariadne changed out of the robes and into a large t-shirt. It used to be Hiro's—it was a Chudley Cannons t-shirt with a huge hole in the armpit. She wasn't sure what he bewitched it with, but the shirt forever smelled like him. She pulled the neckline over her nose, cried some more, and fell into a dreamless and fitful sleep. The morning sun came too soon for Ariadne's liking. It seemed as if she had just closed her eyes a few minutes ago. It was Saturday morning, which was a blessing, but it also meant Quidditch practice and multiple encounters with Draco.

_I wonder if he really meant it…_her mind wondered. Did Draco really need his childhood "rival" in his life? What force or mystery compelled the pompous, spoiled little brat to admit that he had feelings?

"You sound idiotic, Ari." she muttered. "He said he needed me, not that he has feelings. Get over yourself." She rolled onto her left side and saw Wyvern three beds down—still in her costume. She snored with her mouth half-open. Pansy Parkinson and her usual flock of vapid girls walked back in from the communal bathroom.

"Oh, look! If it isn't Miss Flash! Was it cold last night, Ariadne?" she sneered. Her brown corkscrew curls bounced as her face wrinkled into a mocking scowl. Ariadne felt her face contort into her fiercest glare.

"I don't know what you're talking about, you bitch, but you better shut your trap before I shut it for you." Ariadne stood in nothing but her t-shirt and her pink pygmy puff underwear, but she didn't give a damn. She was tired of the pug's bullshit.

"Oh, Ariadne. We mustn't get trashy now. No need to threaten me." She scoffed and giggled sweetly—a sound that was completely insincere. Ariadne shook her head and said, "Soon, you'll regret saying one word to me." She ended that note by scooping up her bathroom bag, giving Pansy a hard shove with her shoulder, and walking out of the dormitory. She still was without pants. She strode down into the common room and turned a sharp corner, winding down the spiral stairs to the girls' bathroom. Twenty or so pairs of widened eyes witnessed the affair.

"Did Ariadne just come down here…half-naked?" Theodore Nott breathed. A few people nodded their heads in disbelief.

XXX

Quidditch practice went terribly. No one was on their game that morning. Many were gossiping about Ariadne's nudity the night before and how amazing or shocking or weird it was. So the whole upper years saw the entire duel and Ariadne's de-robing. She wished the previous night had never happened. Draco avoided eye contact with his fellow Slytherin the entire time. He didn't insult her technique once, never ordered her around, never said a word. Ariadne wasn't sure how to feel. Should she be mad at Draco, because he wasn't man enough to speak to her after a life-altering confession like last night's? Or should she be relieved for a break from the usual dose of verbal abuse?

Ariadne lingered in the locker room, waiting for Draco (a first for Ariadne). But his padlock had been sealed and was nowhere to be found. He already left.

The Slytherin girl slid down the wall and curled up into a ball. She would rather have Draco insult her every day instead of him not speaking to her at all. She felt silly and full of shame. She shouldn't let a stupid wanker like Draco get into her head. But it was no use. Her mind was swimming with the thought of him.

The tears came hot and fast. With a scary shock she realized she was crying. Over _Draco Malfoy. _This was the boy who had tormented her for a majority of her life. Why was she so upset?

XXX

A sixth year Slytherin girl found herself walking towards the Quidditch pitch. She was always interested in trying out, but could never muster the courage to do so. But today was the day. The girl was tall, with an a-line hair cut colored a fiery red. In her left hand was her broom—a gently used Firebolt, and in her right was her wand, an eleven-inch willow with mermaid tears in the core. Her green eyes scanned the field but was discouraged when she realized the place was deserted.

"Damnit! I'm too late!" the Slytherin sighed. She walked toward the locker room to see if there were any stragglers from the last practice. As she approached the entrance, she heard muffled sobs inside.

"Hello?" she called as she pushed open the door. "Are you okay?" Ariadne's cries cut off instantly and she began to dry up.

"I'm sorry. I just heard you in here and wanted to make sure you were fine. I'm Jericho Hailstrum." Ariadne's slate eyes noticed the Slytherin crest on her robes and she relaxed slightly. She extended a shaking hand and introduced herself to the redhead.

"Ariadne Nocturne. Thank you for snapping me out of this funk." she rose awkwardly and grabbed her book bag. Jericho smiled and asked, "When's the next practice? I'd love to try out!" Ariadne bit her lip in thought and told her practice was next Tuesday.

"Perfect! Do you mind if I walk in with you? So I don't feel like a trespasser?" Jericho looked down in discomfort. Hopefully Ariadne, one of the best beaters on Slytherin's team, would agree. Ariadne forced a smile and complied.

"Sure! Practices on Tuesdays start at three. Don't be late." And the blonde exited.

XXX

The following Tuesday came and went. Jericho was mediocre at best, but she would be a good second string chaser. She had speed but no finesse. Either way, she got a uniform and that was all the optimistic Slytherin cared about. She joined Ariadne at meals more, always talking about Quidditch. Ariadne didn't mind the new company much, as she found herself unusually free at meal times (Draco's absences have kept her feeding hours quiet). So Jericho, Wyvern, and Ariadne prattled off about meaningless things, like the new nail lacquer down in Hogsmeade's cosmetic shop, or how atrocious classes were. Blaise passed by the three girls and slapped down a charms essay in front of Jericho.

"See that? Perfect marks. What'd you get on the essay, Hailstrum?" Jericho's face burned with anger—turning so red it was almost identical to her hair. "Shut your damn mouth, Blaise! You know I suck at charms! So what if you've got a perfect essay? I kicked your arse last week in DADA!"

"Mixed dueling classes don't even count. Sixth years are given an advantage anyway!" he retorted. These arguments between the academic rivals were usually how each meal was concluded. Their ill feelings traced back to their childhoods, when their families (much like Draco and Ariadne's) coincided with similar "interests". Ariadne and Wyvern were minding their own business until a pile of mashed potatoes struck them both in the face. The buttery spuds slid down their cheeks and fell into their laps, greasing every palpable surface. Blaise began running down the Great Hall like a madman. Wyvern rose to sprint but Ariadne pulled her back down.

"This one's mine!" she said. Ariadne leapt over a crouching first year and grabbed Blaise by the hem of his robe. The force generated by the pull didn't stop his stride, but it slowed him considerably.

"Do you realize _what is in my hair?_" she half-shrieked.

"Taters?" Blaise tried. Ariadne threw Blaise to the ground, stole the nearest pudding from the Hufflepuff table, and overturned the bowl onto Blaise's face. That would teach him to throw fat-laden foods at her.

She was about to begin gloating when she saw them. Draco and Pansy entered the Great Hall, hand in hand. He made eye contact with Ariadne, smirked ever so slightly, and planted a soft kiss on Pansy's cheek.

She wished she had saved the pudding for a certain blond seventh year.

XXX

**REVIEW because I LOVE YOU!**


	8. Confessions of an Angsty Heir

**Trying to write this chapter in time for the movie release! Looks like I missed it haha. SAW HARRY POTTER SEVEN. LIFE FOREVER CHANGED. **

**But I thought it strayed from the book too much in the end. Oh wells.**

**LOVED IT ANYWAY, especially my main man Draco Malfoy. **

**So please review and recommend to all your Potter fans, and I'd greatly appreciate it.**

**Your love and devotion to "Stuck" inspires to me continue it!**

**So here we go.**

**XXX**

A clashing mixture of rage, confusion, and pain rippled through Ariadne's body. Draco deliberately was doing this to anger her. She tore her gaze away from the kissing couple and looked to Wyvern, who looked shocked.

"How could he do that?" she hissed. Ariadne laughed, a barking, unfunny sound, and rose abruptly to storm out of the Great Hall. Wyvern stood also and said, "Wait, I'm coming with you!" the silver-haired Slytherin scooped up her bag and hurried after her blonde friend, who stepped right up to Pansy and extended her middle finger.

"Up yours, pug face." Before the ugly girl could respond, Ariadne kicked open the Great Hall doors and walked through. The Hall was stunned into silence. All eyes flicked from Ariadne's exit to Pansy's face, which burned hot with humiliation. Applause and loud cheering resulted from the blonde's verbal strike. It reduced Pansy to loud, blubbering tears that only increased the hilarity. Draco looked thoroughly displeased and excused himself, heading after Ariadne and Wyvern. Once he caught up to Wyvern, she nearly shoved her aside and hurried to stop Ariadne.

"Hey, wanker! Leave her alone!" Wyvern straightened her black tie and stomped after the boy. Draco flipped her the bird and spat, "I don't have time for filthy blood traitors. As far as I'm concerned, your blood is muddier than Granger's." Wyvern almost dropped her wand. It was as if she'd been electrocuted. Sure she got guff for her blood traitor brothers, but the blood that ran through the girl's veins was pure nevertheless. Her father was a Death Eater, one of Lucius' old Slytherin friends!

She couldn't understand what her friend Ariadne could see in that heartless prat. The spoiled boy who knew nothing but getting his way and torturing others. "I'm sure mummy would hate to hear her precious Draco speak so poorly to a girl!" Wyvern knew her comeback was weak, but it was all her mind could come up with during her moment of pain. Draco didn't even bother with a response. Wyvern, wounded and defeated, retreated back into the Great Hall to sit with Ellie and try to explain to the inquisitive first year what love truly meant and how sometimes people who were afraid of their feelings reacted to such situations. The mousy haired girl merely stared with confused brown eyes.

"Wyvern, if Draco and Ariadne like each other, then why don't they just admit it?" Wyvern stopped her confusing lecture and her mouth fell open involuntarily. She was then thankful for young children. They could see past the frivolous complications that older people put themselves through and peer straight into the answer.

It was right there, so close yet just out of reach.

"If those two idiots can't figure it out, I'm not sure who can." with a roll of her green eyes and a laugh the two girls shared, the conversation was over and they resumed their meal.

Ariadne had one only one place she wanted to be right now. At home, with her Mum and Dad. She missed them sorely and they had stopped writing to her. She wondered what sort of mission the Dark Lord had sent them on. But her one wish could not be granted, as there was no way she could leave Hogwarts and come home. And to make things worse, Winter holiday was just a week or two away. That meant she would be staying with the_ Malfoys. _Ariadne threw open the front door and marched towards the Quidditch Pitch. Maybe she could summon her broom and fly out of the stupid git's reach. She was quite aware of his presence fifty yards behind her, but this didn't break her step once. Ariadne merely pointed her wand in no particular direction and muttered, "_Lumos._" Night was falling fast. As she walked she pulled gob after gob of mashed potatoes from her hair. If it turned greasy from the butter and fat she would murder Blaise.

"_Accio broom!"_ Ariadne whispered. Her trusty broomstick sailed from an open window and into her hand. She waited until Draco closed the distance between them before she kicked off the ground and into the air. The moon rose bright and full over the eastern horizon.

"Nocturne! Damn you, get down here!"

"No!" she called back. "I didn't know you were into bestiality, Draco! But I'm sure your dear parents will be supportive of whatever their little Drakie cares about!" Draco's hands curled into taut fists. From Ariadne's perch twenty feet above him, she thought she could see a vein in his forehead bulge.

"You shut your mouth about my parents!" he snarled. Ariadne raised a brow and retorted, "And why should I? We both know your mother wanted a daughter." The blonde girl knew this was a low blow, but she didn't give a rat's arse. Narcissa _adored _her, and Draco knew it. His face flashed hot scarlet in the white moonlight. He opened his mouth to bite back but insults never came. She could have imagined it, but she thought she saw his lip quiver slightly. Oh, no.

"What do I have to do to get your attention, Ariadne?" his words were hardly audible, but they struck her like lightning. Involuntarily she floated down closer to him, trying to understand what he was saying.

"Do I have to make you jealous by dating idiot girls like Parkinson? Just so you'd _notice me?_"

"Don't give me that rubbish, Malfoy. You looked quite satisfied when you were playing tonsil hockey with her."

"Tonsil…hockey?"

"Making out! Snogging! Kissing! Learn something, for Merlin's sake!" she scolded, annoyed.

"Shut up! I don't need this!" Draco turned to leave.

"So, running from a fight are we? WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF, DRACO ?" her challenge was audacious—her wand was stuffed in her robes, and Draco's was clenched in his pale fist. She knew he could turn on her in an instant.

"I never wanted to come to this disgusting school." he began with an even voice. "I was supposed to go to Durmstrang. They don't allow mudbloods there. I'd learn more about the Dark Arts than I ever would in this stupid institution! But no, my Mum didn't want me so far from home."

"And you're upset because your mother loves you? Do you not realize I've had to fight for my mother's praise? Ever since my brother was killed, her attitude towards me has worsened exponentially. Crete was her favorite, not me! Your mother worships you. My mother gives me money instead of love. So you tell me how horrible your life is, Draco, with parents who love you, an unbroken family, money, and a fantastic school!" The tears ran freely now, and she sunk to the ground unceremoniously. Her broom rolled away in the dewy grass.

"I had..I had no idea." Draco said solemnly. Ariadne shrugged and turned away. She wouldn't give Draco the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Minutes that seemed like hours stretched between them. She dared to look over her shoulder and found that Draco was staring at her. The moon, which had now risen to almost its apex, threw his pointed features into brilliant relief—and she was sure he was staring at her runny make up and puffy red eyes.

"Don't look at me." she pleaded in a small voice. "I'm hideous." A small sob shook her chest and she buried herself in her own long hair. She heard grass shift and sensed Draco beside her. His body gave off a warm radiance in the December heat. He said nothing, he only reached across her brow and pulled back the hair that was sticky with tears. She expected his fingers to be rough, but his touch was surprisingly gentle.

"You're wrong, Ariadne. I know your parents love you. I've seen it. And you're not hideous, either." she looked at him with those slate-blue eyes and he saw Ariadne clearly for the first time. Yes, in the common room he had admitted that he needed her in his life, but never before that moment did he realize _why._

She was gorgeous, every man's downfall, but that wasn't even part of it. In those eyes Draco saw every emotion. Love, pain, fear, understanding, any feeling one could imagine could be seen in those eyes. As a person, she could speak from her heart and see past the trivial things Draco focused so intently on. He envied her ability to care for others freely, to have the heart to sacrifice herself for things she believed in.

Draco felt he didn't possess such altruism. He firmly believed she would try her hardest for his happiness, if he had asked for it.

In that moment, the moment that seemed to change Draco's opinion of her forever, Ariadne reached out to rest her cold hand on his cheek. Her skin was soft, and the touch was filled with love. Draco ordinarily would slap her hand away, fearing that this touch would lead to a strike, but he sensed no danger.

"Why would you ever kiss Pansy like that?" she asked. Her voice was colored with sadness and Draco cringed inwardly.

"I wanted to make you jealous—I thought I told you that." Draco chuckled nervously; he was caught red-handed and didn't want to seem embarrassed by it. The girl's hand dropped from the boy's face and she looked away. He could see the disappointment etched clearly onto her features.

"Come on, Ariadne…how could you blame me?" she looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"It was a crap move, Malfoy." her words were harsh and unforgiving. Draco felt her reserve slipping. He was going to lose this battle once more. "You're such a git. For a moment or two I think you're actually comforting me, but all you want to do is make me jealous. Envy is a terrible feeling .It ruins the best of people, it turns them into selfish, loathsome monsters." Her slate-blue eyes, if they could, would flash a brilliant green. Tonight she was the Green-Eyed-Monster.

"No, Ari, please—"

"Don't call me Ari!" she interrupted. "That's reserved for one person only! And now he's in Durmstrang." Draco blushed slightly.

"I was always envious of Taminama. Since the first day we were sorted into Slytherin." Ariadne found she could not speak. She remembered that day clearly.

_It was the first day she would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Little Ariadne practically skipped out of the train and towards the enormous man who was beckoning the first years. He would later be known as Hagrid, the Hogwarts Gamekeeper. She stood next to a bushy-haired girl clutching a copy of "Hogwarts, A History" and began talking with her about sorting and whatnot._

_"I'd love to be in Gryffindor," the girl named Hermione said excitedly. "I'm a muggle-born, but that shouldn't matter! I've read up on each house, and from what I've heard Gryffindor seems to be my favorite!" It didn't mean a thing that Ariadne's new acquaintance was a muggle-born. The thought that it might mean something different never crossed her mind. _

_"My entire family for as long as I can remember has been in Slytherin. My older brother Crete is a fifth year Slytherin this year!" she replied. _

_Ron Weasley, and next to him was Harry Potter. Ariadne was quite familiar with the boy celebrity—her parents discussed him constantly. _

_"Dark wizards or not, Slytherin doesn't seem to be a terrible house!" Hermione snapped. _

_"You-know-Who was a Slytherin!" Ron told her. Hermione shrugged and looked to Ariadne._

_"Slytherins are supposed to be intelligent and ambitious." she smiled at her new friend, who shyly smiled back._

_"And what if I was put in Slytherin? Not all Slytherins have to be bad!" Ariadne said. The conversation was cut as they were next in line for the boats. She entered a boat with Hermione and a few other first years. _

_Once the entire group was in the Great Hall, she found her way to the front of the group. There stood Draco. Ariadne rolled her eyes and turned to walk away, but it was too late._

_"Well well well. Ariadne Nocturne. Let's hope for your sake you're put in Slytherin." he sneered. Ariadne stuck her tongue out and started to walk away. She ran smack into an Asian-looking wizard. _

_"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" Ariadne blushed. The Asian boy stared at Ariadne with multi-colored eyes. It was obvious his left eye was blind—its entire surface was a cloudy shade of electric blue. The other was brown. _

_"I didn't see you coming. Don't worry about it! My name is Hiro Taminama. From what I heard, you're Ariadne Nocturne?" Ariadne smiled and heard Draco being called to be sorted. The hat didn't even have to touch his head before the hat screamed, "Slytherin!" _

_From his new seat at the Slytherin table, Draco could not focus on anything other than Hiro and Ariadne. They seemed to hit it off the moment she ran into him. They both were sorted into Slytherin—and they whispered to each other the entire first dinner._

_Draco didn't even touch his food._

"Don't you see? Every day guys come up to me and ask me how they can get a date with you. Theodore Nott won't ever shut up about you. Not to mention Blaise faking the Amortentia experiment. It's maddening for me!"

"Why?"

"Because every new guy that thinks has a chance with you puts you one step away from me."

XXX

**!**

**Reviewwww ? AND I SHALL CONTINUE THIS CONFESSION.**


	9. Numbed

**Without further ado. **

**XXX**

The two weeks before winter holiday flew by faster than a hippogriff on steroids. And methamphetamines. They came so quickly Ariadne hardly noticed she was packing her trunk until she spilled a bottle of ink all over her white eyelet blouse. And that was when she noticed she wasn't packing her trunk at all, but stuffing her belongings beneath her covers.

"Uh, Ariadne? Are you all right?" Wyvern asked. Her silver hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and her green eyes narrowed with worry. "You're definitely distracted."

"I don't know what's gotten into me, Wy. I've just been zoning out these past weeks."

"Ever since that night you flipped off Parkinson, you mean." the taller Slytherin gave her friend a knowing look. She shrugged out of her Hogwarts robes and folded them neatly. Her silver and green trunk was organized by item type and color, all arranged in compact piles. Ariadne's things looked like a tornado had hit them. Her clothes were strewn about the dormitory, and her school supplies were scattered in random places as well. Zeus, Ari's white cat, was curled up in a brassiere and a single left shoe.

"No! That's not it at all! It has nothing to do with that hateful cow." Ariadne huffed, indignant of such a statement. Wyvern shrugged, unable to contain her smile.

"Well, you do know what this means then. If ol' Drakie thinks he can get away with insulting me, my brothers, you, and, uh, everyone else…then he's wrong! We have to show him who rules Slytherin house!" the silver-haired girl dove into a compartment she had built beneath her four-poster bed. Inside were loads of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. In Slytherin, their products were usually taboo, but in the cases of pranks or wrongdoings exceptions were always made.

"They are of quality!" Wyvern always insisted. With slender fingers she pulled out a tiny bottle of pink liquid. It had a cork stopper and a label with a small skull on it.

"I don't want to poison the idiot!" Ariadne scolded her and snatched the bottle from her grip. A quick scan of the label told her it was hair dye. Semi-permanent hair dye that would last around two to three weeks.

"Poison? Have you gone thick in the head? We're just gonna change his hair color, you loony. " Wyvern slipped the vial into her pocket and gave it a loving pat. She cooed, "Soon, my precious. Soon."

With a roll of slate eyes, Ariadne finally started to pack her trunk the correct way.

XXX

The two girls quickly ventured out of the dormitory and into the Slytherin common room. The light was bright and green down in the dungeons—it must have meant it was sunny topside. Not many students were left inside, most made their way to breakfast before they had to catch the train in Hogsmeade.

Wyvern and Ariadne sunk into plush green armchairs and warmed their feet by the fire. It got terribly cold in the dungeons normally, with the December snow on the ground, the stone of the rooms chilled the place even more.

"It's got to be less than forty degrees in here!" Wyvern's teeth chattered noisily as she flexed her toes in the heat of the hearth. It seemed even the roaring fire couldn't vanquish the frigid feeling.

"Well, if we're going to do this before holiday, I suggest we get going." Ariadne stood and adjusted her outfit. Today, since they were leaving Hogwarts grounds, students weren't required to wear the school uniforms. The blonde Slytherin donned dark, grey-blue skinny jeans and a forest green sweater. The top alternated between dark green and black stripes. On her head was a black knit beanie, and out of the bottom flowed her white-blonde tresses. She had styled it so it would stay wavy even in the coming snowstorms. On her small feet were charcoal grey snow boots.

Wyvern was dressed similarly. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she wore fluffy white earmuffs like a headband. She had a purple and white scarf twisted around her pale neck, a sweatshirt with argyle print, and snow pants. She enjoyed the swishing noise they made as she walked.

"I'm not even hungry." Ariadne commented. Wyvern scrambled from the portrait hole and nearly fell on her face in the process. Ariadne failed to avoid Wyvern's flight patterns and was dragged down with her. She fell flat on her back, wheezing as the air rushed from her lungs.

As the fates would have it, Draco Malfoy was walking down the corridor at that exact moment. Having witnessed their tangled tumble, he waited until they composed themselves before speaking.

"Not you two as well! Everyone seems to be falling for me these days!" Draco smirked like this was a serious dig.

"Yes, we were falling for you, if falling meant we would be farther from that smug, git-like face—then yes, I'm falling for you _hard._" Ariadne quipped. Draco blew a piece of hair out of his eyes and pushed past them to enter the common room.

"Meet me by the Three Broomsticks, Nocturne. You know how our Fathers don't like to be kept waiting." Instead of acting like the mature adult that she was, Ariadne stuck her tongue out at him.

Although this got her nowhere, it at least made her feel better.

The two Slytherin girls made their way to the Great Hall (without any more "accidents") and sat down to a light breakfast. Ellie was seated next to them, along with Jericho, the new Chaser.

"Arnold is coming over to my family's house for Christmas." Ellie squeaked. In front of her was an untouched omelet and a comically large hunk of melon. She nervously stabbed the fruit with her fork and nibbled idly on a corner.

"Don't worry, Ellie. Arnold, if he's a good friend, will act like nothing has changed." Jericho said comfortingly. Wyvern hastily agreed and her focus drifted back to the notepad in her hands. A quill skipped furiously across the page, formulating the perfect plan to dye Draco Malfoy's hair hot pink.

The first year was dressed in a bright orange coat with large white buttons. She looked over at her friend in Gryffindor, who locked eyes with the girl and looked away just as quickly. She sighed audibly.

"Oh, Ellie. Don't be sad." Ariadne began.

"Yes! You could be spending three weeks with a git like Malfoy!" Wyvern spat. She drew lightning bolts striking a poorly drawn caricature of Draco.

"You have to do that? That doesn't sound so bad," Ellie looked off into the distance dreamily. "He's so handsome." The three girls, with an exception of Jericho, looked at the first year with mouths agape.

"Shame on you! Looks aren't everything!" Wyvern gasped. Ariadne nodded firmly.

"He'll catch you in a trap with that steely, icy gaze. Then, once he has you captured, he'll tear you apart. Like a baby sparrow caught in a cobra's glare." Now it was Ellie's turn to stare at Ariadne.

"So, you've been trapped by this cobra before, then?" she asked slyly.

"No!" she refuted immediately. "I'm the cobra here, not him!" It was too late. Her defensive tone gave it all away. "Shut it, all of you. I'm not anyone's fool, especially ferret boy's." A bell chimed somewhere, signaling eleven o'clock in the morning. Ariadne rose swiftly and left the Great Hall, eager to get to Malfoy Manor and see her parents.

XXX

The two blonde Slytherins shared a compartment on the Hogwarts express. Ariadne laid out flat on one bench while Draco sat upright in the other. The boy's left hand was rested on his cheek while the other's fingers drummed against his thigh steadily. Ariadne's mass of hair pooled from her cap and almost brushed the floor.

"So, other than my comment to you this morning, why haven't we spoken since that night out on the grounds?" Draco asked suddenly. The abrupt break of silence caused Ariadne to open one eye, study Draco warily, and shut it again.

"Maybe I didn't want to believe what you said back there," she began. "There are some things that are very difficult to trust completely. You're one of them." Ariadne rolled over onto her stomach and looked Draco full in the face.

"Believe me? Ariadne, please. Don't give me that rubbish. Your wide doe eyes told me all I needed to know. There wasn't a word I said that you didn't hang onto for dear life." his proud remark slowly raised Ariadne's blood pressure.

"Don't feel so smug, wanker. You said those things so I wouldn't murder your little tramp." Ariadne sat up in a flurry of wavy hair and crossed her arms tightly.

"And why would you feel the need to murder her? What could possibly compel you to harm Parkinson, who is as harmless and pathetic as a newborn Muggle? Jealousy, perhaps?" he couldn't control his trademark smirk any longer. The left corner of his mouth curled slightly, bringing his lips into the half-grin, half-grimace shape that so many girls melted over. Ariadne, however, remained steely.

"No comment."

"No comment?" he repeated incredulously. "No comment because there _is_ no sane reason! You're jealous that Parkinson's slobbery lips were all over mine! There's no doubt you wished to be in her position, just as I leaned in and—"

"_STUPEFY!"_ Ariadne shouted. Her wand emitted a jet of red light that knocked Draco back into the wooden wall of the compartment. He slammed into the carpeted floor with a sickening thud.

"You troublesome woman." he mumbled maliciously. Ariadne was the one who smirked now. She nudged his writhing body with the toe of her right boot.

"Poor Drakie. What will Mummy say when she sees you all bwuised and bwoken?" she cooed.

"She'll say she's sorry I did this to you." he said.

"Did what?"

"This!" Draco sprung from his spot on the carpet to tackle Ariadne. He pinned her to the bench and loomed over her, mere centimeters from her face. Her slate eyes were wide in fear.

"W-what are you d-doing?" Ariadne stuttered. Draco ran his nose along her jaw line, inhaling deeply. He pulled away and stared into her eyes.

"Just enjoying how you squirm. You're very touchy, Nocturne. Good for future reference." With a wink that was far too casual, he freed her from his grasp and sauntered back to his side of the compartment. Thoroughly ruffled, Ariadne worriedly checked that the compartment blinds were closed and no one had witnessed their little encounter. She returned to the bench, fully aware that Draco was watching her the entire time, and sank back into her reclining position on the padded bench. Ariadne narrowed her eyes into slits and rolled over, turning her back to the blond pervert.

"Brilliant. Now I've got a better view of your ass." Ariadne could almost hear the smirk in the lecher's voice.

"Draco dearest, if you don't shut up, I'm going to shove my wand so far up your arse you'll be tasting the unicorn heartstring at its core." Ariadne yanked a blanket from beneath the bench and draped it over her body, squeezing her eyes closed and counting down the minutes until they arrived.

XXX

Snow fell heavily at the Malfoy Manor. The large hedges that ringed the estate were blanketed in sheets of snow, and the famed white peacocks were nowhere to be found. A group of house elves and Wormtail escorted Draco and Ariadne through the heavily enchanted wrought-iron gates and up the path toward the Manor itself.

It was an enormous building, with large, sweeping eaves and a white exterior. Three main towers faced the group of people, each tapering to a sharp point at the top. A wide balcony doubled as a deck over the porch, which was lined with white columns. The lines of the mansion were angular and perfectly aligned. Although Ariadne had visited the manor countless times as a child, its beauty and intricacy never failed to amaze her.

"Miss Ariadne!" a familiar voice squeaked. The Slytherin girl looked down to her feet to see Rosie tugging at the seam of her pant leg.

"Rosie! What are you doing here?" she asked quietly. Rosie's large eyes welled with tears and she shook her head quickly.

"You will see, miss."

Ariadne swallowed the ball of worry in her throat and walked inside the manor. The temperature change was staggering. Ariadne instantly felt uncomfortable and peeled off her wet boots.

"Ariadne! Draco!" Narcissa beamed widely and pulled both of them into a spine-crushing hug. For such a delicate and poised woman, she sure had arm strength. "You two have a meeting tonight with the Dark Lord. Go freshen up and meet in the drawing room please." She turned on the heel of an expensive boot and clicked away out of sight. Ariadne relished the feeling of the Malfoy's stone floors beneath her feet. Although she didn't like Malfoy that much, she adored his home.

The couple looked at each other awkwardly before turning towards the grand staircase. They exited the foyer in silence and began their trek to the second floor. The walls lining the staircase were filled with portraits of the Malfoy and Black family trees, starting with ancient wizards Ariadne couldn't recognize and ending with Draco's face.

"Where am I staying, Rosie?" the House-elf wrung her hands nervously and began crying again.

"Miss Ariadne, you must forgive Rosie! There are no more rooms left in the Manor, with so many Dark witches and wizards staying here! Someone suggested you sleep on the floor, but Rosie would never make Miss Ariadne sleep on the floor! So the only room left is…is…" her enormous eyes darted around.

"Whose room, Rosie?"

"Mr. Draco's, Miss! Please don't hurt Rosie!" she cringed away out of actual fear. Her withdrawal was enough to distract the girl from the unfortunate sleeping arrangements and onto Rosie. She wondered how poorly they were treating her here.

"No, Rosie. You know I would never, ever hurt you. It's all right. I can just sleep with my parents." she looked down the hallway hesitantly.

"Where are they?" A high voice behind her chuckled. Ariadne turned to face a veil of billowing black curls and heavily lidded eyes. Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Oh, darling. You mustn't worry too much about them anymore." Bellatrix approached Ariadne with an outstretched hand. The girl couldn't help but see an image of a snake coiled to strike in her mind.

"Why not?"

"They died in the line of duty. Such a pity, too, seeing as they didn't even finish the mission." Ariadne dropped the glass of water Rosie had hastily shoved in her hands. The glass shattered and the sound reverberated ten times over, no thanks to the silence that followed Bellatrix's statement. As the tears burned Ariadne's eyes, Bellatrix's cackling laugh replaced the sound of exploding glass in the hallway.

Ariadne sprinted down the stairs and burst into the meeting room.

"Where are they?" she demanded. Her pain and suffering must have been evident, because instead of cursing the girl on the spot, the Dark Lord raised a white, corpse-like hand to stop them. Her slate eyes met his red ones and her heart fluttered in sheer terror.

"Your parents were unable to complete their mission, Miss Nocturne." Lord Voldemort's expression was impossible to read. Was he feeling smug about their demise? Remorse? "They were loyal Death Eaters, were they not?" A round of laughs circled the long table of Death Eaters.

"I believe their only interests lied with you, Ariadne." Voldemort rose from his silver seat. His cloak billowed about him silently, like a large shadow. He moved noiselessly until he was two chairs away.

"The members of the Order of the Phoenix murdered them. Don't you wish to seek revenge?" Voldemort reached out and cupped Ariadne's cheek with a freezing hand. Ariadne, completely terrified, nodded slightly.

"Such beauty. A perfect mix of your mother and father." he said calmly. Ariadne tried to calm her heart, but she found the task to be impossible. The silencve of the room was deafening, Ariadne was sure that the pounding of her heart was enough to shatter the windows. She was positive Voldemort could feel her heart race beneath his touch.

"Do not fear me, Ariadne. Obey me. Respect me. And you will find that being a Death Eater isn't so bad after all." The Dark Lord chuckled darkly and the others joined in. Voldemort dissolved into a dark cloud and dissipated, appearing in his silver chair once more.

"If you must see them, they're in the Eastern wing. Try not to vomit, young one." Voldemort smiled, or whatever facial expression came closest to the latter, and shooed her from the drawing room. Ariadne left with shaking hands, following the House-elf that guided her to the glass caskets where her parents rested.

A preservative charm must have been placed upon the two bodies. The glass coffins were on display, and the two people inside looked as if they could have been sleeping. Their bodies were pristine and preserved, with elegant dress and peaceful expressions. She touched the surface of each one and offered her goodbye.

"Mum, I know I never got to tell you this enough…but…I love you. I always appreciated the beautiful dresses and pretty things you would bring for me. You taught me to be strong, to be independent, to be my own woman. No one could get in my way because of how you raised me." she kissed the coffin, leaving her lip prints on its cold plane.

Next she turned to her father, who was handsome even in death.

"Daddy, I'll miss you terribly. You know I love you and Mum, and although you guys were away a lot, I knew you both loved me…now you're with Crete and I know you'll be happy again." She planted a second kiss on her father's coffin and left the Eastern wing. She begged the House-elf to bury them at sea, by the Nocturne Estate. The tiny elf touched the two coffins and disapparated at once.

Ariadne looked up from her silent reverie to see Draco, who had been watching her speak to her dead parents the entire time.

XXX


	10. Past the Point of No Return

**Review, my pretties! **

**And go read Like Lightning, by ProjectWhatever. She's really nice and her story is HILARIOUS! So if you're craving more DracoxOC between Stuck chapters, go lose yourself in this one.**

**Once again, REVIEW. :D**

**XXX**

Draco followed Ariadne to the Eastern wing after he overheard the Dark Lord tell her where her parents were resting. A small part of the Slytherin boy had a difficult time believing that the Nocturnes died in the line of duty. The Order of the Phoenix had an arsenal of the best Aurors in existence, true, but the Nocturnes were powerful. The situation reeked of secrets and well-spun lies.

"Something isn't right here." Draco quietly followed Ariadne and the House-elf to where her parents were. The Eastern wing was adorned with Persian carpets, rich tapestries, and all types of art on the walls. The décor was dark and filled with rich purple, serving as a harsh contrast to the pristine glass of their coffins. The House-elf respectfully pretended to be examining a large painting of dragons while Ariadne said goodbye to her parents. Draco didn't even bother to hide, he stood in clear view of anybody who bothered looking in his direction.

Ariadne stood slowly and turned, and Draco froze in his spot. Their eyes met and the only readable expression on her soft features was pain. Deep, sorrowful pain that seemed to c from her being in harsh waves.

"What are you doing here, Prat?" and just like that, the depression was gone under a mask of reserve. Instead of heartbreak he saw anger and annoyance.

"I followed you over here to make sure you wouldn't steal anything, Nocturne. Completely routine of anybody who enters the Malfoy Manor." he said matter-of-factly. The House-elf at Ariadne's knee gave Draco a withering look—stating clearly that she didn't buy it for a moment.

"Just get out of my way before I hex you." she withdrew her wand with a quick flourish of her hand. The look on her face was hard and taut—she wasn't kidding. Draco brushed by the blond with a loud scoff and continued down a carpeted staircase.

"Have fun now, Nocturne." he didn't turn to look at the blonde girl, he merely offered a carefree wave in its stead. Ariadne wheeled and spat, "Shove it up your ass, Malfoy."

"Oh, no, darling. As much as I'd like to, I can't do it alone, you see. It's much more fun with an audience anyway."

"You insufferable, impossible, egotistical—" she fumbled for more adjectives and Draco turned with a slight smirk.

"Egotistical what? At a loss for words, are we? Try git, prat, arse, bastard, or anything of the sort. You're losing your touch, Nocturne. Tsk, tsk." he waved a long finger at her as if disappointed. "Now, if you're not going to hex me or seduce me or anything of the sort, I shall be leaving." Ariadne released a growl of frustration and stomped away.

XXX

Ariadne stomped all the way past the drawing room, through a hallway decorated with crystal pieces, along the foyer, and up the stairs until she reached Draco's room. A wrought brass inscription of his name hung above the door frame, labeling the dwelling as his. She turned the knob with her right hand and threw open the door.

The room was painted a muted silver, and on his walls were posters of various Quidditch teams and Wizarding bands. He had a long, mahogany desk that was neatly organized. On its surface sat fresh parchment, ink bottles and quills of every size. Beside the desk was a leather armchair and the door that led into his closet. Curious, she ventured inside and nearly fainted from the scent.

Draco's spicy, rustic smell was all over the racks of clothes in the closet. With a horrifying start, Ariadne realized that _this_ was the smell she had become intoxicated by in the Amortentia she brewed. She may have picked Blaise's potion, but what truly attracted her was this scent.

"Oh, bloody brilliant. Leave it to my stupid brain to fancy a stupid git like him." she buried her face in her hands and thought of her parents. The girl wondered if they were with Crete again. If they were worried or watching over her. She pulled herself away from the closet and back out into the spacious room. Three vertical windows looked out over the front of the manor, covered in a thin layer of frost that served no justice to the icy wonderland outside. Ariadne sat on the king-sized bed and sank into it, running her small hands over the deep green silk over and over. It calmed her, the silk. When she was small, and her parents were gone, the only thing she clutched was a pink silk blanket her mother had given her.

The garment now sat folded at the foot of her bed, miles and miles away. A sharp rap at the door snapped her from her memories.

"Nocturne, open up! This is _my _room and Merlin help me if I have to blast the door down!" Draco's voice was muffled through the wooden door but perturbed nonetheless. When she offered no answer Draco pounded on the door with what Ariadne assumed was his fists.

"Open this door, woman! I need to wash!" Ariadne quickly grabbed her toiletry bag from her trunk and tossed it into the bathroom.

"At once, Lord Draco!" she said snidely. "But don't you realize you can simply unlock the door with your wand?" Outside, Draco mentally kicked himself. Was he turning into a damned Muggle? Of course he could unlock it, what a blithering fool he was. He scrambled to pull his wand from the pocket of his slacks.

"_Alohomora!_" he barked. The lock complied and slid open easily. He burst into the room to find it empty—and the bathroom door shut firmly.

"Damn you, Nocturne! You'll take forever in there on purpose!"

"I'm your guest, Draco." she replied cooly, "Show some class."

"Class? Class would be me getting clean in the shower by now. Class is respect when it is deserved. Class is when—"

"Be quiet, won't you?" she called from the recesses of the glass shower. "All you ever do is prattle on about blood purity, your rights, respect and honor, but you never return any of those things!" Draco heard the water turn on and imagined Ariadne removing her clothes. He stopped listening at that moment while his mind ventured to, ahem, _dirtier places_.

"You have twenty minutes to be out of there, Nocturne. One moment more and I'm coming in."

"Fine, but if you see anything you aren't supposed to, I'll have your head."

"Which head, Ariadne? You know there's more than one." Draco could barely contain his laughter as Ariadne let loose a slew of curses, the most frequent being "dirty pervert". The Slytherin boy merely kicked off his trainers, leapt on the bed, and waited for the time to run out.

XXX

Draco glanced at his watch—he had let her shower for thirty seconds past the time limit. With a wicked grin he tiptoed to the door and unlocked it with his wand. He paused for effect, and kicked down the door. Ariadne let out a tiny scream, nearly slipping on the tiled shower in attempt to cover herself. The steam that collected on the glass did most of the work for her, but the damage was already done. Draco pulled open the shower door, eyes averted, and shut off the water.

"I told you, twenty minutes." Ariadne snatched a towel from the rack outside and wrapped it around herself. In her long hair was unrinsed shampoo that smelled of strawberries.

"What did you see?" she asked. Draco swore he saw nothing, and albeit the eye rolls from Ariadne she didn't curse him. The girl warily grabbed her cosmetic bag and walked out of the bathroom.

"Is it a little cold, Nocturne? Your friends seem to be saying hello to me." He gestured to her chest and Ariadne's mouth opened in shock as her hands flew to cover her freezing body.

"When have you gotten so bold, little ferret? Did Mummy compliment you? Did Pansy make you feel like a real man? I'm not sure where you're getting the guts but getting smart with me will not pay off in the long run, I assure you." She purposely knocked the rolls of parchment from his desk onto the mahogany floor for good measure.

"I'll leave the door unlocked, y'know…" Draco announced. "In case you feel the urge." Ariadne wondered if she was going to be dizzy from all the eye rolling. She opened her trunk and chose a long-sleeved black cotton dress. Its hem brushed her mid-thigh and the back was a lacework pattern. Paired with the dress were black, glittery heels. A soft knock at the door preceded the entrance of Narcissa Malfoy. Her dinner outfit was a midnight blue dress that sheathed her hips snugly. Her hair was braided and tied at the nape of her pale neck.

"Ariadne…darling." She glided to the younger girl and sat down beside her in a sweep of blue skirts. Her slate eyes met Narcissa's icy gaze and she broke down in tears.

"Why, Mrs. Malfoy? Did they have to die? Tell me the truth." Ariadne's words were broken and colored with sobs. She resisted the urge to sniffle loudly. Narcissa brushed the damp hair from Ariadne's face with a slender hand.

"Sometimes things happen, and there's nothing that can be done. I know your parents loved you, Ari. I promise you that whatever transpires in the future, the Malfoys will be at your side." The last part of her promise was whispered, as if their support of the girl was forbidden or taboo. "You do know that your parents left a will, do you not?" Narcissa's eyes were questioning.

"No," the girl sniffed. "I've never heard of their will or what's in it or who gets whatever. I frankly don't care. Not all their money or gold or stupid china collections could bring them or Crete back." she grumbled. She was acting childish, and she knew, but she figured she could let herself have a moment of weakness. She was the last Nocturne from her immediate family left, after all.

"Yes, darling, that may be true. But unless you'd like the Ministry to seize your parents' things, you might want to make a claim sooner or later. Would you like me to take you home tomorrow?" Narcissa's voice was soft and comforting. Much like Violeta Nocturne's once was.

"If it's not a burden to you, that would be nice. Thank you, Narcissa." she said, voice even.

"And please try not to let Draco get under your skin. I know he can be difficult and downright idiotic at times, but I know there's good in his heart." Mrs. Malfoy winked a blue eye and planted a kiss on Ariadne's temple.

"Thank you for caring so much about me, Narcissa." Ariadne looked into her eyes and tears overflowed once more.

"You don't need to thank me, Ari. You know I consider you my daughter. Now let's dry up those tears and I'll do your hair. How does that sound?" Ariadne's face struggled to smile and she was speechless again. This woman, who knew fully how much Ariadne and Draco tortured each other, was offering to style her hair. The gesture seemed so odd in such a situation but was tempting nonetheless. Her mother never fixed her hair before.

So the girl stood, wiped her tears on Draco's recently removed shirt, and followed Narcissa to her vanity at the end of the hallway.

XXX

Ariadne had never seen such superfluous cosmetic accessorizing. A large, circular mirror was mounted on the wall. Perfectly spherical light bulbs ringed the outside edge of the glass, with the ability to illuminate even the darkest of facial features. The counter that held countless beauty products was a white resin surface, polished clean of make-up smudges or hairspray residue. The entire image was exciting to Ariadne. It was like a free trip to the most ornate beauty parlor she could conjure in her mind.

"Draco used to love getting hair cuts from me." Narcissa began. "But he's too old to let his Mum cut his precious hair now. And dare I mention he doesn't care for it at all. It hangs on his head like wet straw." She grabbed a bottle of mousse that had a label written completely in French. In her hands pooled the foamy white mousse that quickly was massaged into Ariadne's damp locks.

"When he was little he'd blabber away about how I had to cut it perfectly." With her fingers she combed out the tangles in Ariadne's hair—before tackling it with an ivory paddle brush.

"Did he always need to have everything be in order like that?" Ari's mind drifted to the immaculate manner in which the Slytherin organized his school supplies.

"Hm, not really. He mostly wanted to make sure that it was perfect so you'd like it." Narcissa clapped a hand over her mouth mockingly, as if she'd let out a big secret. Ariadne groaned inwardly as she felt her cheeks twinge pink. Draco was worried about what she thought of his _hair_? The older blonde swished her wand and Ariadne felt a hot sensation sweep over her head. Within a minute or so her hair was completely dry. Narcissa then wove a single strand of hair around the length of her wand. When she let it go, the strand twisted and curled into a flawless wave. One more flick of her wand and the remaining strands sprung to life, curling themselves quickly. Turning toward her collection of cosmetics, she chose for Ariadne a thin liquid liner for her eyelid, simple silver shadow, and mascara.

"You don't need rogue, it'd be too harsh against your skin." She said nonchalantly, placing the palette of red blush back into a random container. With a practiced hand she lined Ariadne's upper lids with a thin black streak.

"And with that, you're done!" Ariadne looked at her flushed face in the white lights of the vanity. Her hair looked healthy and vivacious, revitalized by the cream Narcissa had worked in. Her make-up was modest and tasteful, making her look dark and dangerous yet approachable at the same time.

"Narcissa, you're a genius." she resolved, hugging her maternal role model tightly.

"No problem, dearie. It's all about appearances around here anyway. My Mother always told me, 'Cissy, you have eight seconds to make an impression upon someone!' and she's absolutely right. Everyone judges you in the first moments they see you. So why not give them a little something extra to chew on?" With another wink and small laugh, the two women exited the bathroom and made their way down to the meeting room. They passed Draco's room, where the door was ajar but lights extinguished.

"He must already be downstairs." Narcissa mused. Her assumption was confirmed moments later as they met Draco at the landing of the grand staircase. He waited there beside his father, both men dressed in black button-down shirts and pleated black slacks. In Draco's lapel was a white gardenia.

"My Malfoy boys." Narcissa beamed. " Always heartbreakingly handsome."Her painted lips brushed against Draco's cheek first, then lingered on the lips of her husband.

"Draco, escort Ariadne inside." she ordered. Draco offered his arm half-heartedly. Ariadne accepted it with equal disinterest. Ahead of them stood the doors to the drawing room, where Wormtail waited outside. He pulled open the large double doors with difficulty, despite the strength of the silver hand the Dark Lord gave him.

The drawing room was not one of Ariadne's favorite places (ever since it had been repurposed as the meeting place for all Death Eaters). She felt the temperature around her drop considerably, and the scent of sweat, wine, and death coiled in her nostrils like a poisonous smog. In the stone-cut hearth roared a raging fire, which cast long and sharp shadows across the inhabitants of the room. A large, singular table replaced the usual arrangement of many small tables, and Lord Voldemort sat at the head.

"Young Ariadne and Draco. It's so good of you to finally join us." Voldemort said, rising from his seat and extending his arms. Ariadne half expected him to embrace them, but realized such a gesture would be complete lunacy from the Dark Lord. Any contact he made with a person usually ended with the words, "_Avada Kedavra._"

"Tonight, I will grant you both the opportunity of a lifetime." The members around the table chuckled darkly in anticipation.

"Tonight will be the night you two begin a legacy that will be written on the blood-soaked pages of History forever. Tonight, you will both be induced as Death Eaters. The youngest ones I've created, in fact."

The tension in the room was now palpable. Voldemort walked soundlessly to the young couple who stood at the doorway.

"Come now, don't be shy. It will only hurt a little." The Dark Lord withdrew his wand from his robes and held out his hand to Ariadne.

"Ladies first, as always." Ariadne rolled up the sleeve of her left arm and felt her heart spring into overdrive. She never wanted this. Was this her fate? To follow in her parents' footsteps? To be branded like cattle, lumbering in senility to their slaughter? Of course, there was no backing out now. She would be killed on the spot if she tried to run.

The Dark Lord's fleshless lips stretched into a grimace as he began muttering the incantation. He made her swear her allegiance to him and to their cause before he touched the tip of his wand to her left arm.

To keep from screaming, Ariadne bit into her bottom lip with such force that blood welled in her mouth. The pain was white hot, curling her flesh away and replacing it with the sensation of a thousand needles. The cursed ink that flowed from his wand fed on her flesh greedily, weaving their image upon her forearm forever. Pain—blinding, senseless pain—set her entire body aflame. The fire that engulfed Ariadne licked her bones and every cell in her being—razing every nerve to ash.

She gripped the Dark Lord's arm to keep from collapsing.

"Bellatrix, I believe you owe Dolohov six galleons." A few Death Eaters stared at their master in confusion. To ease the uncertainty Voldemort explained.

"Bella presumed that Ariadne would scream and squeal like a stuck pig. Dolohov's opinion differed. Therefore, Bella, you owe the man his money." Bellatrix practically threw the coins at the now grinning Dolohov.

"You owe me six galleons, girl!" Bellatrix snarled. Ariadne was panting too hard to care. She looked down at her new Dark Mark and was surprised her arm wasn't swollen at all. The only sign of injury was the thin lines of blood that seeped from the tattoo. Other than that, it seemed as if the mark had been there forever.

"Now it's your turn, Draco." Voldemort beckoned the boy forward and skipped the formality of swearing his loyalty. He jabbed Draco's arm abruptly and the Slytherin sunk to his knees. Ariadne looked to Lucius, who sighed inaudibly and shook his head in disappointment. At least he didn't scream. As Ariadne and Draco took their places beside Narcissa and Lucius, Voldemort began explaining his new assignment for the recently induced Death Eaters.

"Now that I've allowed you into this exclusive circle, I must ask of you one thing. I give you both the honor of murdering Albus Dumbledore." Ariadne did her best to hide her shock, but the look on her face must have given her away.

"I know it is a large task, dear Ariadne, but you've nothing to lose. Draco, on the other hand, has everything to lose. His parents, a loving family, his beautiful home, and you, of course, Miss Nocturne." Ariadne blushed deeply as Draco did beside her.

"If you fail, you all will die. There are no exceptions. You both have until the end of your next school term. Without the wand of Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter will find a way to kill me. The holly and phoenix feather wand that chose me all those years ago refuses to fight its brother. I am not so loyal." Voldemort twirled the wand around in his bony fingers. That wand, that thin piece of wood resting in his grasp was the instrument used to murder and maim innocent people. The injustice and irony was too staggering to ignore. His "disloyalty" to a weapon that did nothing but obey couldn't possibly be stopping the Dark Lord from killing Harry Potter. There had to be a component Ariadne was overlooking, He needed a different wand. Something more powerful. What better wand than Albus Dumbledore's?

The knot that twisted its way into Ariadne's stomach decided to stretch its reach beyond her intestines and up through her heart. Fear and dread bubbled inside of her. She never wanted this life. Draco must have sensed her discomfort, as his warm hand found its way to rest on her thigh. The touch was completely comforting. He squeezed her knee once and then the sensation was gone.

XXX

The dinner that followed the two students' induction was rich and lavish. An entire roasted pig sat stuffed in the center of the dining table, surrounded by large bowls of potatoes, corn, salad, and other dishes. Each bite was a complement to the one preceding and following it. Although the couple was surrounded by the decadent display, neither of them touched a scrap. Ariadne politely asked to be excused, and once permission was granted Draco followed suit.

Ariadne strode straight to Draco's room—intent on getting to sleep and escaping the horrible reality that plagued her mind. Oblivious to the fact that Draco was in the room with her, Ariadne tore off her dress and stood in her underwear until she found a sufficient nightshirt. Out of Draco's closet. She stole a t-shirt Draco owned that had faded to a pale purple.

"Aren't you going to put on pants?" Draco asked, startled by his companion's lack of the aforementioned clothing. Ariadne shook her head.

"Sorry buddy, you'll have to get used to it. I don't sleep with pants—it makes it hard for my legs to breathe." She leapt into Draco's silk covers and took the spot on the right side of the bed farthest from the window. The light always woke her up in the mornings. Draco shrugged, removed his shirt, and slowly unbuckled his black leather belt. As his slacks dropped to the floor Ariadne couldn't help but sneak a peek at his boxers. Or should she say boxer-briefs. The black material left absolutely nothing to the imagination, and Ariadne found herself reddening madly. To hide her excitement she buried herself beneath the bedding.

She felt Draco slide in at her side and relaxed as he turned out the lights.

"Good night, Nocturne."

"Good night, Draco. If you molest me, I'll—"

"Yes, I know. You'll have my head." Ariadne rolled over onto her left side, exposing her back to Draco and hiding the smile she couldn't control. Twenty minutes of complete silence passed. At the same time, they both asked, "Are you awake?"

Ariadne rolled back until her slate orbs met with his blue ones. His lips were slightly parted and his hair disheveled. The moonlight, albeit dim, threw enough of Draco's features into relief to be able to examine him thoroughly. His right shoulder was muscled and smooth, and the arm that was attached to it was draped across his chest. The other arm was snaked beneath the pillow that supported his head. His expression was unreadable, perhaps he was studying her as well. He lifted the hand that rested on his chest and reached for Ariadne's face. She did not flinch or move. From his angle, the light of the moon made her face completely visible. He extended his pointer finger and traced the delicate outline of her jaw, over her lips, and across her nose. He ran his touch along her eyebrows, felt the shape of her eyes, which fluttered beneath his fingers. His hand fell to her lips once more, and they parted when his fingers brushed against them. He could have sworn that she kissed his fingers at that moment, but the contact was so light he couldn't be sure.

He leaned in close and was mere inches from her face. As his hand moved to frame her face, his lips dared to venture even closer to Ariadne's. He went slowly, stopping to see if Ariadne would hesitate.

"Today, we became Death Eaters together. We've taken this plunge into a dark abyss we can't escape from. But I figure it'll be all right, Ariadne. I've got you, haven't I?" a thin finger shushed his lips and Ariadne raised a manicured brow.

"What is it that you want, exactly?" she asked in reply.

"You." In his mind he had fantasized about this moment thousands of times, the moment when he actually got to kiss Ariadne Nocturne. For years he had daydreamed of such a prospect, and now it was only centimeters away. He swallowed the butterflies threatening to break free from his stomach and touched his lips to hers.

XXX


	11. Consider Me Damned

**Review review review? Id love to hear from you…**

**WARNING: this chapter may or may not contain hot makeout sessions.**

**XXX**

Ariadne wasn't sure what was happening. One moment, she could smell Draco's minty breath. The next she was tasting it. A small voice in her mind informed her that she was indeed kissing Draco Malfoy. The long fingers that recently cupped her cheek now tangled themselves in her wild hair. Draco deepened the kiss, pulling Ari's body up against his own.

Ariadne inhaled sharply at the sensation of his toned chest beneath her hands. This was far too much to wrap her head around. Any sort of rationale that would normally stop Ariadne in her tracks was lost now. The only thing she knew was kissing Draco.

She instinctively hooked her leg over his hip and ran her nails gently down his bare back. She smirked into the kiss as she felt him shiver.

"Ariadne," his voice was breathless. His eyes were closed as he leaned in once more. This time, his kiss was rough and hot. He hungrily locked lips with the petite blonde, and broke to trail kisses down her jaw until his mouth rested on the hollow of her throat. The scent of lilies and lilac intoxicated the Slytherin boy. He planted a single, warm kiss on her neck and pulled away. When their eyes met, Ariadne's cheeks flooded a bright red.

"You actually let me kiss you, Nocturne." Draco marveled, running a thumb across the lips he recently touched.

"I suppose you could call it that." She retorted. "If you wanted to classify whatever you were doing as kissing." With a sly smile she rolled out of his embrace.

"Wait, what? You know darn well I'm the best snogger you've ever been with!" Draco sneered. Ariadne giggled and replied, "Are you sure? Have you kissed Theodore Nott? Or Potter, perhaps?"

"P-Potter!" Draco half-shouted. "You've snogged Potter! The filthy Golden boy?"

"He was great, Draco. There's a lot more to him than that scar or those green eyes, y'know."

"Do tell." Draco rolled his icy eyes and flipped Ariadne so she was facing him once more. Ariadne pantomimed zipping her lips shut.

"One never kisses and tells." she winked. Draco's brows furrowed and his face contorted into a scowl.

"What makes Potter so much better than this?" he gestured to his half-naked state and Ariadne shrugged. He whispered angrily, "You're being impossible, as usual! I thought that with one kiss—" he broke off and bit his lower lip.

"One kiss would win me over? Draco, you've been torturing me since we were in diapers. One kiss, albeit extremely professional, isn't going to change everything."

"Good, because that wasn't my aim! I just wanted a good snog was all." he snapped. He shifted in the covers noisily and found he couldn't settle into a comfortable position. He finally gave up and faced the three windows.

"Go to sleep, Draco. And calm the snake in your pants, please." With a stifled giggle, Ariadne brushed her lips against Draco's pale cheek.

"Loosen up, Drakie. You'll find everything to be so much more enjoyable." She wriggled until she was pressed against his body once more.

"How can I 'loosen up' while knowing you've snogged Potter! If you've kissed that prat, that means by extension I've kissed him!"

"I've brushed my teeth since then, Draco, I assure you."

XXX

The dawn came and brought yet another snowstorm. Ariadne woke up in a tangle of limbs and silken sheets. She extracted herself with difficulty and rummaged through her trunk for a suitable outfit. Over her head went a striped brown sweater dress. Yanked onto her thin legs were chocolate pinstripe tights.

A large, vertical mirror hung on the backside of the bedroom door. She stared into its surface and saw her sallow reflection stare back at her. Ariadne was unsure whether or not her pallid complexion was from the lighting in the room or her recent sorrows. The latter seemed the more logical explanation. Her hair soon was brushed through and thrown into a high ponytail. On her feet went brown ankle booties.

"Merlin's pants, Nocturne! It's seven in the morning!" Draco groaned. He nearly rolled out of the bed and onto the floor, but caught himself by clutching the covers he was wrapped in. Draco got up and hastily threw on a pair of black sweatpants. His torso remained bare.

"I don't care what time it is, Draco. I'm going to the Estate this morning. I'd like as much time as I'll need there." she said. Draco bit back the insult he was about to spit out and instead offered to accompany her.

"I was going to go with your mother." she daintily sprayed her neck with perfume. "But I suppose you can come along as well." Zeus, the white cat, leapt from the floor and settled on Ariadne's shoulder.

"All right. I'll meet you downstairs in five then?" Ariadne nodded firmly and exited the bedroom. She skipped downstairs to find Narcissa, Lucius, and the other Death Eaters sitting down to breakfast. Narcissa and the Dark Lord were the only people who acknowledged her entrance.

"Please sit, Miss Nocturne." The Dark Lord waved his wand and a chair flew out behind her, knocking out her legs and pulling her uncomfortably close to the table. A House-elf immediately began piling eggs and bacon onto her plate. Ariadne didn't feel like eating much at all, and once she was handed a fork she merely pushed her food around her plate until Narcissa finished.

"Are you ready?" she asked. Draco walked in and stood next to the two blonde women. Without announcing their leave, Narcissa grasped the arms of both children and they spun out of sight.

XXX

The Estate now belonged to Ariadne Nocturne. She stood on the balcony that overlooked the sea and watched the waves crash into the cliffs below her. Frost turned the stone into a slick, slippery hazard this time of year. No one wanted to accidentally fall into the surf and meet a salty and untimely death.

Maneuvering her way around particularly icy patches, she made her way inside. The scent that filled her nose was overwhelming and nostalgic—two feelings, when paired, could lead to a lot of emotion.

Ariadne passed the entrance and into the living room. Countless photographs of her family, ancestral and immediate, were hung on the walls. She walked up to her favorite picture—taken on the bluffs many years ago.

There stood her mother, short and striking, with her arm wrapped around their father. He smiled and cradled Ariadne on the opposite hip. At age four, her long blonde hair was constantly kept in pigtails. Standing at the feet of Violeta and Adrien was Crete, the eldest of the Nocturne children. His blonde hair and blue eyes rivaled even the Malfoy's genetic tendencies, and he smiled and laughed at something beyond the view of the camera.

With shaking hands, Ariadne removed the picture and tucked it beneath her arm.

Narcissa and Draco kept a quiet and respectful distance from her. They stationed themselves in the kitchen, where Narcissa busied herself with cleaning out the pantry while Draco flipped through the many photo albums Violeta kept in a bureau by the back wall. Many were labeled for Crete, and only three of the twenty or so books were created for Ariadne. Draco grabbed them and escaped into a nearby alcove to pour over their contents.

Within twenty minutes or so he had covered Ari's early childhood. Baby pictures depicted a little girl who screamed with laughter, cried comically, and apparently was a messy eater. It was painfully evident the little girl loved her older brother, and her family as well.

There were pictures of Draco mixed in every now and then. In each snapshot that featured Ariadne and Draco, however, Ariadne was scowling. Her small but cherubic face twisted into a grimace that made Draco's stomach turn.

"Has she always hated me?" he whispered to the book. "You sure make it seem that way." The Slytherin's mind ventured back to their kiss the night before. If _that_ was Ariadne's way of expressing hatred, he couldn't wait to see what love was. He snorted at his own joke and opened the most recent scrapbook. It chronicled Ariadne's time at Hogwarts. The first photograph showed him a beaming blonde girl standing in front of the Hogwarts Express with brand new robes. She raised her wand in one hand and a kitten-sized Zeus in the other. A few pages later and there was Ariadne, boarding the Hogwarts Express in the past September. The blonde girl turned around to wave goodbye to the camera. She laughed and rolled her eyes—Draco wondered what was said to her.

He guessed he'd never know. He pulled the picture from its plastic sheath and pocketed it. He'd need a smiling face for the dark times to come.

XXX

Ariadne entered her father's study with a heavy heart. The entire visit had reduced her to tears countless times, and she knew this room would make the largest impact. In here, in her father's safe, was the will that would dictate her new, solitary life. Before tackling this obstacle, however, she walked along the bookshelves, idly glancing at the many volumes her father had collected. Wizarding spell books, books on dark magic, potions recipes. Autobiographies of the greatest witches and wizards who ever lived. She grabbed a thick novel by Miranda Goshawk and pulled it from the shelf. A cloud of thick, brown dust came with it, stuffing Ariadne's sinuses until she sneezed. Only when the musty air cleared did she notice a smaller book hidden behind Goshawk's work.

Interest piqued, she dropped the first volume and exchanged it for the other. This tiny journal was made of Dragon Hide, and had a bright red ribbon sealing it shut. Her father's initials had been engraved on the bottom corner. A small voice in her head identified the piece as a diary.

"Sweet gods! This belonged to Dad!" and into the bag the book went, along with a couple of other writings that she couldn't leave behind. With that small treasure discovered, she turned to face her parents' last testament to the Earth.

Underneath his enormous desk was a small metal square—the safe. She unlocked it with a combination of enchantments and an actual code—her birthday.

The will was a glowing parchment that was rolled tightly. She sat in the office chair and unrolled the Wizarding Document. Once she broke the seal on it, the parchment folded itself into a mouth.

"Is a magical lawyer present?" the will inquired. Ariadne replied that there wasn't and the will re-rolled itself tightly, closing itself from Ariadne's ears. With an irritated sigh she stuffed the scroll into her shoulder bag and walked out of the study. She needed to make one last stop—her bedroom. Ariadne filled the bag with trinkets she wanted with her always now. These included the silk blanket she sorely missed, a golden heart necklace, and an enchanted wooden snake that wrapped its length around Ariadne's index finger.

She walked downstairs and met Narcissa and Draco. They each gave her sympathetic looks. With a brief touch of the older blonde's arm, she was whisked away from her home.

XXX

Ariadne retreated to Draco's room and hid underneath his covers. She lulled into a fitful sleep. Her dreams, or more accurately, nightmares, showed her terrifying images.

_Ariadne walked down a dark hallway, lit by nothing more than a few torches with blue flames. She had seen this place before somewhere…_

_The girl had no idea where she was going, but somehow her feet carried her through an intricate set of turns until she reached an enormous room filled with glowing spheres. It was then she realized she was in the Department of Mysteries. Millions of crystal balls lined the endless shelves. She crossed one row and heard whispering voices. No one was down the hall. Taking a hint, Ariadne tentatively trekked down the stone path until a single, glowing orb caught her slate eyes. Below its stand was a tiny bronze plaque that read, "D. Malfoy and A. Nocturne." _

_"Well, it belongs to me, doesn't it?" she shrugged. After touching the orb's surface, the glowing glass flared a bright white before speaking in a misty voice._

_"Two children will be born, three months apart. The white haired children shall vanquish the owner of the Elder Wand, and assist the shadow that falls across the Wizarding World. _

_One will stray into the darkness, hopeless, trapped—but can and will be saved by the other. Losses shall be suffered, hearts shall be broken, but above all, the white children must—"_

And she was shaken awake. At such a pivotal moment, Ariadne was rudely disturbed by none other than Draco Malfoy. He shook her with his left hand roughly.

"Wake up, Nocturne! For Merlin's sakes you're screaming your head off!" he growled. Ariadne sat up in bed and rubbed her aching temples. Some force wanted her to see that dream. Was is the Dark Lord? Maybe, but one could never be sure.

"I'm sorry. Bad dreams." Her explanation was faulty at best, but at the moment it didn't matter. The Slytherin girl scrambled over to Draco's desk, where she grabbed a roll of fresh parchment and a newly-dipped quill. She jotted down all that she remembered of the prophecy on its scratchy surface.

"What is this rubbish?" Draco asked pointedly. "You're obviously oblivious to the fact that you've got no poetic talent whatsoever." Ariadne simply ignored him and scanned the lines with her eyes over and over. The fact that the white-haired children were Draco and Ariadne was obvious…but the rest could mean anything.

"It's a prophecy, you git!" she snarled indignantly. Draco burst into laughter and said through tears, "Ariadne, you're terrible at Divination! Don't tell me you've chosen a new career path." Ariadne shoved Draco hard and screamed in his face, "This was part of my dream, you blithering arse! I was just about to listen to the most important part, and you woke me up! Do you realize what you've done?" the wet ink from the parchment rubbed off on Draco's pale cheek. Bits and pieces of the prophecy seemed branded there, if only temporarily.

"Listen. I'm trying to be nice because your parents were killed, but now it's not going to be so easy!" he smudged the black liquid on his cheek with a clenched fist. "How come we can't ever get along? Do our personalities clash that often? Why couldn't we just be like we were last night? What is it about me that you hate, Nocturne?" he demanded. His voice was rising with every word, and the proximity between them diminished in equal increments.

"I don't want to discuss this in my current emotional state. Draco, we've never gotten along because you've never ever learned the golden rule. They teach tiny kids that you've got to treat someone the way you'd like to be treated. Law of reciprocation!" she shouted. Snatching the handbag with the things she brought from the Estate, she exited the room with a flourish of robes. Draco kicked the door shut behind her and paced across his bedroom. After a few moments of furious thinking, he yelled after her, "_The Law of Reciprocation doesn't exist_!"

From an upstairs bedroom he heard her soft, mocking laugh. She was in the library. Draco stomped up the winding staircase and burst through the French doors. Ariadne was sitting cross-legged on a red loveseat that faced the wall of windows overlooking the grounds. Zeus was at her feet fast asleep.

"Yes, Drakie. Can I help you?" she choked back a laugh as his face reddened with anger.

"Why don't you answer my questions?" he allowed a defeated sigh to pass his lips. Ariadne shrugged and didn't look at him. Instead of being lighthearted, Ariadne slipped into a more serious tone.

"I'm not ready to, is all. What happened last night…I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. I just don't know if now is the right time for this…my parents, and this—" she yanked up her left sleeve and exposed the puffy Dark Mark on her forearm. "—it's just too much for me to take in." Draco tried to hide his extreme disappointment.

"I wasn't expecting that." he admitted.

"What were you expecting? Me to fall at your feet like the other stupid girls you've strung along?" she retorted. Draco moved to sit on the empty side of the loveseat and looked her straight in the face. His expression was hard and unreadable.

"Well, my reputation as a ladies' man has made me quite famous. I'm sure anybody in our year who's in Slytherin would die to be where you are right now." Ariadne's mouth dropped open in outrage.

"You've made it seem like you've offered me a deal I can't refuse." said Ariadne. Draco merely shrugged and gave her his signature smirk.

"I don't do this often, Nocturne. Hardly ever am _I_ the one who goes chasing after women." he inched closer to her spot on the couch.

"You're beginning to disgust me." Ariadne sneered. "You haven't changed one bit. There are flashes of a Draco who I'm sure I'd like. He's kind and gentle, but he drowns in the shadow of your pompous, everyday personality!" her eyes were wild. Draco, realizing when an endeavor has been lost, stood from his seated position and turned toward the door.

"You know, I don't know why I've been wasting so many years of my life pining for you. Who'd want to date an ugly cow like you? Certainly not anyone with any sort of sense. I'm sorry for wasting your time, I'm going to go be a 'pompous git' somewhere else." A strangled gasp forced its way out of Ariadne's throat. The tears came hot and fast to her narrowed eyes.

"And one more thing," Draco pulled open one of the doors and turned to stare her straight into her wet eyes.

"That sweater makes you look awfully fat."

XXX


	12. An Alliance Forged

**Hey everyone! I've been trying to update every day… Thanks so much for your reviewing, it really really helps me out to hear your opinions! It also makes me write faster, too. **

**So let it rip! **

**Thanks **_**StayBeautiful1, LarkthatSingsatDawn , SavageTrickster **_**for reviewing last chapter! You guys are AWESOME! **

**Enjoy!**

**XXX**

_How could I have been so stupid? _Ariadne thought. Her spot on the loveseat in the library had not changed. She had spent the last several hours crying alone. Secretly thankful no House-elf or person could see her this way, she rubbed her swollen eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. Rationality told her that she wasn't fat. At five feet two inches and just over one hundred pounds, Ariadne was actually underweight. Regardless of her weight, the words stung worse than any curse or blow would have.

The blonde hated to admit it, but she thoroughly enjoyed the events that transpired the night before. Why couldn't she just own up to that?

Oh, yeah. Because a certain Draco Malfoy popped off with comments like those.

"Ugly cow? Fat?" she growled. _I'll show him._ Tomorrow she and Narcissa would be going to Diagon Alley to Christmas shopping. She'd send an owl to Wyvern to send her the hair dye. It was almost dinnertime, and dinners at the Malfoy Manor were almost always formal. Zeus meowed at her feet. It was almost his dinnertime, too. Ariadne returned to Draco's room and was relieved to see he wasn't there. After a quick shower she summoned a House-elf. Rosie bustled into the room and bowed at attention.

"Rosie, could you please go to the Estate and get me my little black dress?" Ariadne pulled a brush through her long hair as Rosie bowed deeply.

"The one with only one shoulder, miss?"

"The very same. Thank you, Rosie." With a snap of the elf's long fingers, she was gone. Moments later she returned with a gorgeous black garment in her tiny hands. The dress sheathed her in black spandex and didn't dare go past her mid-thigh. One sleeve wrapped around her shoulder, while the other was bare. Rosie stayed to help Ariadne with her hair. Once the elf was finished, Ariadne stood in the mirror and looked at herself. Her eye makeup was done with striking black lines, dragging out her eye line in a dramatic sweep. Her hair was tied at the nape of her neck, twisted delicately into a knot and fastened with two large white flowers. Gardenias, to be specific. She finished the outfit with gladiator sandals.

"Thank you so much, Rosie!" she hugged her elven friend and scooped Zeus into her arms.

"Don't thank Rosie, Miss Ariadne. It was my pleasure!" Ariadne beamed and dismissed her. She sat at Draco's desk, twirling an eagle-feather quill in her fingers. The door opened behind her and hard footfalls identified the person as Draco. He said nothing to her and walked straight into the shower.

Ariadne took the hint and exited. She arrived downstairs to find House-elves scrambling to put up Christmas decorations. Three elves were currently levitating an enormous pine tree—still dripping with melted snow from outside. Miles of tinsel untangled themselves and were draped around the entrance hall. Narcissa stood with her arms folded at the landing, supervising the decoration process.

"Oh, Ariadne. Dinner's in an hour. I can't believe I didn't get my decorations up before now! And to think tomorrow is Christmas Eve…I'm almost ashamed of myself." The woman waved her wand and conjured a large collection of glass baubles. The ornaments floated in midair and twinkled like stars.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ariadne extended her wand and Narcissa pointed to a large box of tree ornaments.

"Follow the elves into the ball room, please. This tree will need some love!" Ariadne did as she was told and walked into the Malfoy's Grand Ballroom. Countless Christmas Eves, birthdays, Easters, and other holidays she had spent here. The Malfoy family prided themselves on their extravagant holiday parties. They certainly had the accommodations for it. The Grand Ballroom had limitless ceilings and one wall made entirely of windows. These windows looked upon the back terrace of the Manor. The doors below the windows opened out onto an enormous deck.

The room was decorated in a deep purple with brass accents—just as the rest of the house was. Three large chandeliers with hundreds of crystals glittered as the room's main light sources. Along one wall were long buffet tables—soon to be teeming with food and drink. On the opposite side of the room were many circular tables for dining. A group of House-elves polished the mahogany floor she currently stood on.

Like always, the Christmas Tree went in the left corner, right by the wall of windows and near the gargantuan hearth. Twelve feet of Noble Fir tree was erected to symbolize the holiday spirit. Lucius always complained that the tree was far too close to the fire place, but Narcissa wouldn't have it anyplace else. She cast the protective charms on the tree herself.

Ariadne artistically cast streamers and bright tinsel around the tree first, accenting the garland with twinkling lights. Then went the ornaments, one by one. To finish the masterpiece, she put the large star on the very top, just as the Death Eaters filed in.

"Miss Nocturne. I had no idea you were so adept at…artistry." The Dark Lord mused. He floated over to her, footsteps silent. His cold dead hand rested on her shoulder and it took all of Ariadne's willpower not to shrug it off. The evil emanating from just his fingers chilled her to the bone.

"Thank you, M-milord." she squeaked. The Dark Lord raised a brow, or better phrased, the general area where eyebrows _should be,_ and asked, "Are you afraid, Ariadne? You should be happy, first your induction, and now the Holiday. I don't see anything to be complaining about." Ariadne thought she could feel something probing her mind, almost as if long, white fingers were pulling apart her brain and pouring over what was inside. She began panicking and waved her wand wildly at the tree just for something to do. A large glass depiction of Saint Nicholas jumped from the tree and shattered on the wooden floor. The abrupt noise caused around twenty heads to turn.

"I'll get to cleaning that, Milord." she crouched by the glass and Voldemort pulled her up by the crook of her elbow.

"A witch, let alone a Death Eater, should not be doing slave's work. I thought your good-for-nothing parents would have raised a pureblood better." Voldemort demanded a House-elf and Rosie scrambled to find a dustpan and hand broom. Voldemort kicked her hard in the ribs when she wouldn't work fast enough.

"Useless elf. Lucius, how do you go about choosing these mongrels?" He let Nagini slither from his robes and coil on the floor at his feet. "Kill it, Nagini. Get this purposeless creature out of my sight." The snake obliged enthusiastically by sinking her enormous fangs into Rosie's stomach. The elf shrieked in agony and became even more delirious when she noticed her blood spurting everywhere. To end her struggle, Nagini swallowed the elf whole.

XXX

Ariadne strangled the scream that was about to escape her throat. The last living thing that truly tied her to her family was now gone (apart from Zeus). The Slytherin busied herself by dismissing the rest of the glass and blood with a flick of her wand.

"Might I ask what you all are gawking at?" she asked the other guests angrily. "Don't you have Muggles to slay? Or wine to get drunk off of or something?" Ariadne bustled over to the buffet table and began shoveling food onto a plate. She skipped the roasted duck and went straight for the turkey, pairing it with yams, salad, and cranberry casserole. Feeling devious, she dumped three flutes of champagne into a larger cup and took that as well. The girl yanked back a chair with her foot and plopped down alone.

Eventually Narcissa and Lucius joined her, along with Fenrir Greyback and Severus Snape. Draco sat at a table far from Ariadne with Bellatrix Lestrange, Dolohov, and the Carrow siblings. Snape was left-handed, and throughout the meal his and Ariadne's elbows bumped often. It was awkward, to say the least, given that Ariadne wasn't all that great at Potions and Snape was just Snape in general.

"So, Ariadne. How did you fare during the little Amortentia experiment?" Snape asked her. Ariadne choked on her champagne and sputtered, "If you could even call that daft cruelty an experiment, sure. I mean no offense, Professor, but getting Blaise Zabini's vial wasn't the highlight of my night, to put it simply." Snape combed his fingers through his greasy hair and smirked slightly.

"Who took my vial anyway, Professor?" Snape responded by looking in Draco's general direction. Ariadne blushed deeply.

"Did you tell him which one it was, then?" The older man shrugged with another smirk.

Ariadne groaned loudly and got up to refill her champagne.

XXX

After her fifth triple-glass of champagne, Ariadne's world was spinning. By some miracle she made it back to her seat and sat in a drunken bliss. For the moment, the horrors of Rosie's death, the loss of her parents, and her half-broken heart from Draco were forgotten. All she concentrated on was the shape of Snape's nose.

"Professurrrrrr." she tugged on his sleeve and hissed in his ear. Snape raised an annoyed brow and took Ariadne by the wrist.

"Miss Nocturne, I must speak with you privately." Lucky for the both of them, the party was in full swing and they could slip from the scene unnoticed. Snape dragged the inebriated girl down a dark hallway until he was satisfied that they were secluded. Ariadne was staring intently at a portrait of Sirius Black.

"Ariadne!" he snarled. He pointed his wand at her stomach and a nauseous feeling struck her swift and hard. He was magically siphoning the alcohol from her body. An enormous pool of champagne floated in the space between them until Severus dumped it in a nearby vase. Her mind cleared instantly.

"Stop messing around and wasting the booze, Miss Nocturne. This is important." Snape hastily cast the Muffliato charm to prevent any eavesdroppers and cleared his throat.

"Ariadne, I need you to know that I'm not on the Dark Lord's side." Ariadne felt her mouth drop open in disbelief. He reached with a long finger to close it for her.

"B-but you're Voldemort's right hand man!" she said incredulously.

"So it would seem." he idly touched the Dark Mark on his forearm. "You see, my interests in other areas exceed the benefits of an alliance with the Dark Lord. And you and I both know you'd give anything to not have that brand on your arm." Ariadne's hand flew to the throbbing tattoo involuntarily.

"How did you—"

"How did I know? Miss Ariadne, your mind is as unguarded as a floosy's 'trapdoor'. And believe it or not, I see a lot of myself in you—don't give me that disgusted look." Ariadne smiled sheepishly at her superior.

"Why are you telling me this, Professor?"

"Draco needs someone to drag him from the darkness. His character is far too vulnerable for this job. He is enticed by Voldemort's loyalty to blood purity and power, but what he does not realize is that he is not cut out for murder. He needs you, Ariadne. You are the only person in this entire coven with a rational mind and a kind heart. You have the ability to see beyond the power and the allure of the darkness. You are immune to its draw, as am I."

"I thought you once were Voldemort's real right hand man."

"I was at one time or another. But someone I loved was in danger, and her tragic death awakened the light within me. Do not ever lose sight of what you love, Ariadne. For then all will be lost." He extended his hand to her and Ariadne took it. His grip was rough and authoritative.

"Are we at a truce then, Professor? Possibly even an alliance?"

"I would say an alliance is a better term for it." Ariadne clapped her hands excitedly and beamed.

"Oh, goody! Can I call you Uncle Severus now?" Snape rolled his eyes and glared at her definitively.

"Do not push your luck, youngling. Who knows, Miss Nocturne? Perhaps some day I'll adopt you in some way or another, if we survive all of this." Snape's monotone tenor made it difficult for Ariadne to decide whether or not he was serious.

"You mean I'd live with you from now on? Until the term ends?" Snape shrugged and broke the Muffliato's protective boundary. He stalked back to the party without answering her question. Ariadne was now more confused than ever. Snape had just revealed to her, a mere seventeen year old girl, his darkest and most dangerous secret. Somewhere in her mind this told her that Snape trusted her. Looking back on her experiences with the Professor, she resolved that she didn't hate him. She actually enjoyed his classes when she did well, and he always seemed warm to her (by Snape's definition, at least).

"Living with him would certainly beat staying here with ferret-prick." Once she entered the party, she made a beeline for the drink table, to replenish the alcohol that Snape took from her.

XXX


	13. Prelude to the Party

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWSSS! CHOCOLATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ME LIKE. **

**I LOVE YOU ALL. :D your reviews are honestly one of the best parts of the day, so keep them coming :D **

**Go check out "You can't spell Slytherin without Sly" by Ididntkillthequeen , and submit your HARRY POTTER OC'S! wooooYEAHH.**

**And enjoy!**

**XXX**

Ariadne went back to Draco's room with a nice buzz in her brain. The grand staircase proved a bit difficult to maneuver, but she clutched to the railing like a lifeline and made it all the way to the bed. She leapt and dove into the silken covers, rolling around in them for a minute until she found a comfortable spot. Only then did she realize that Draco was not in bed with her. She sat up abruptly, causing her world to spin threateningly fast.

"Draco? Where are you, damnit?" she snarled into the darkness. When no response was given, she threw back the covers and stomped around the room. "Are you over here? In the closet, maybe?" she flung the door of his walk-in closet open and almost succumbed to the urge to take every shirt and bury herself in the pile they'd make. Ariadne did take one shirt, however, and pulled it on over the dress she still was wearing. Her search lost, she retreated to the green sea of sheets and curled into a ball until morning.

A soft hand gently shook her awake. Expecting to see Draco, she turned over with her most spiteful look ready to fire. Instead she was met by Narcissa's concerned face.

"Are you all right, dear? I wanted to wake you so we could go have a look around Diagon Alley." her voice was soothing and sympathetic—Ariadne wondered why she sounded so solemn. The answer to that question was quickly evident once Ariadne glanced into the mirror. Her hair was a frizzy mass of knots, and the makeup that had looked so chic the night before was smudged all over her face.

"Thank you for waking me. I'll be down in twenty." She rubbed her knuckles in an itching eye and stumbled into the bathroom to shower. The moment the water was scalding hot she stepped in, relishing the stinging sensation on her sore back. It loosened her muscles and completely relaxed her.

"Nocturne, what in the _hell_ do you think you're d-doing?" a startled voice stammered. Ariadne sleepily glanced over to the voice and was snapped from delirium instantly. Across from her in the claw-footed bathtub was Draco.

"Well what in the hell does it look like I'm doing, Draco? Normal people sleep in _beds, _not bathtubs, you loony git." At this point, Ariadne didn't even care that she was bare in front of her adversary. All the more to make him jealous/angry was fine in her book.

"Aren't you going to cover up, then? Merlin's beard, assault me the moment I wake up why don't you?"

"No, I'm not. If it bothers you so much, why can't you look away?" she said. Draco clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, "It's this crazy phenomenon called hormones. I don't know if you've ever experienced them, but as a male it makes it quite difficult to look away when a naked woman is showering before your eyes!" Ariadne laughed coyly and cranked up the temperature of the water even more, fogging up the glass with steam and obscuring her view from him.

"Sorry to bother you, Drakie. I was just _soo_ filthy and needed to be cleaned up." The sultry tone her voice had adopted only sent Draco further into anger and arousal. With a poorly hidden blush on his face, he snatched the blanket and pillow from the tub and tromped back into his room, slamming the bathroom door with such force bottles of shampoo fell off the shower's bench.

"So testy in the morning." Ariadne said to no one, scrubbing her body clean and shutting off the shower.

XXX

Narcissa and Ariadne were soon walking down the cobble-stone streets of Diagon Alley. The place was bustling with witches and wizards, all scrambling to buy the last-minute gifts they had forgotten. Enchanted decorations littered the store fronts, enticing buyers and window shoppers alike. They began with a light breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron, consisting of a Danish pastry and tea. Narcissa preferred boysenberry preserves in her flaky treat, while Ariadne went for the cream cheese. The two women paid and started in Twilfitt's and Tattings. The establishment was painted a periwinkle blue, with silver windowpanes and loopy lettering on its sign. Inside were the finest robes, hats, and clothing Twilfitt and Tatting swore money could buy. Narcissa must have been a regular here, because a plump old woman scurried over to the couple and began prattling off.

"Mrs. Malfoy, darling! It's so nice to have you back! Please, come see our newest apparel! Is this your daughter? I've never seen her before, she's quite lovely if I dare say." she grabbed Ariadne's wrist with a sweaty palm and pulled her over to a rack of beautiful dresses.

"Need a holiday number, dearie?" A different associate asked. This witch was younger, with long black hair and high eyebrows.

"Why not? I've got money to spare. What's the sexiest thing you carry?" she would show Draco more hormone-inducing "displays" at the Christmas Eve dinner tonight. She wanted to make him squirm in his seat. The witch yanked five or six dresses off their racks and hung them in a dressing room for her.

"Just let me know if you need different sizes or anything!" she said warmly. Ariadne thanked the woman and pulled the dressing room curtain shut. She handled each dress very carefully, noting their price tags with a keen eye. The first she tried was a full-length dress the exact color of a sunset. The back cut dangerously low and had rhinestones on the halter top.

"It's more summery, isn't it?" she asked her reflection. Ariadne re-hung the dress and put it in her newly-specified "no" category.

"Oh, why did I wear my black dress last night?" she groaned. "That would have been perfect!" After one dress that billowed on its own like a Flutterby bush, another that looked like a tutu gone terribly wrong, and a style that made Ariadne look as thin as a skeleton, she finally settled on her dress. It was a white ruched dress that was strapless. The top was sleek and met in the middle with a rhinestone detail that lined up with her cleavage. The empire waist gave way to a ruched skirt that was made to look entirely made of small rosettes. The material clung to her tightly and, as every other dress she owned, stopped above the knee.

Without allowing time to change her mind, Ariadne bought the dress. Narcissa summoned a House-elf who immediately took the garment and disapparated back to the mansion.

"I hate having to carry all those bags, you know." Narcissa purchased a handsome black travelling cloak for Lucius and exited the store.

"Where to next?" she said brightly.

"Anywhere is fine, I just don't know what to get Draco." she admitted sheepishly. Narcissa gave her a knowing look and suggested she start in Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"He always begs me to take him here, as most of the stuff is expensive and he's wary about spending his own money. I'm sure you'll find something he'll like!" Ariadne had no objection starting here. She loved going into the Quidditch shop. One could watch the Snitchmaker create a new box of the golden orbs, smell freshly-sewn Quaffles and sometimes test-fly a broom. An expensive Broomstick Servicing Kit caught her eye. It included calfskin washrags, a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a brass clip-on compass, and a handbook titled, "Do-It-Yourself Broomcare". She added to the gift a fresh pair of Seeker's gloves and rung up the purchase.

"Now all I need to get gifts for are Wyvern, The Malfoys, Mum and Da—" she broke off suddenly, almost missing the step out of the store. She would never need to get her parents a Christmas present again. The thought was heartbreaking to Ariadne. A girl without a family on Christmas. She wondered vaguely if this is how Harry Potter felt, or should she say feels. Apart from the Dursleys, he really had no real blood relation to anyone. Both of her parents never had siblings, and her grandparents died a long time ago.

She really was alone in the world. Once she got married, and the Nocturne name was dropped, her family's legacy, the proud Nocturne bloodline, would be gone forever. Her heart felt as if it weighed thirty pounds in her chest. In a moment of weakness, she sank on a nearby bench to cry.

About twenty minutes into her solo sobbing session, she heard footsteps approaching her. Too ashamed to look up, she kept her eyes glued to the cobblestone floor, which blurred in and out of focus due to the flowing tears.

"No one should be crying on Christmas Eve, Ariadne." a familiar voice said quietly. Could it really be? She looked up, expecting to see Hiro, but was crestfallen when she locked eyes with Harry Potter. Realizing how stupid that change of expression must have looked, she twisted her face into a smile.

"Harry! How are you?" she smiled weakly. Harry had two ice-cream cones in his hands—one a pistachio and the other a strawberry. He handed her the strawberry cone and sat beside her.

"I've always seen you get this from Florean's, so I thought you could use one now." he licked a large mouthful of the pistachio off his own cone and offered his hand.

"Why are you always so damned nice to me, Harry?" she grumbled. Harry shrugged and said in reply, "I'm not sure. It certainly can't be your good looks, you're as ugly as Filch in a hoopskirt." he joked. Ariadne laughed half-heartedly and tasted the ice cream. It was amazing, as always. Her father would take Crete and Ariadne to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour once a month, to celebrate something silly like the new moon or a Tuesday. She missed the small things like that already.

"Thank you, Harry." she squeezed his warm hand with her cold one and he smiled.

"Where are Hermione and Ron?" she asked conversationally. Harry gestured to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes down the street.

"Checking out Fred and George's new merchandise." Ariadne nodded in acknowledgement and gingerly bit the side of her cone, allowing the strawberry ice cream to run down her hand slightly.

"Still pestered by Draco?" he asked suddenly.

"Like you wouldn't believe." With a toe she nudged the Quidditch supplies underneath the bench and out of sight.

"He's up to something. Voldemort has given him a plan, I can feel it. I see things that Voldemort wants me to. Something's coming."

"Why does everyone confide in me?"Ariadne demanded the cobble-stone floor. The ground offered no answer and she looked back to Harry.

"Draco isn't up to anything," she lied. "Trust me. That git is so incompetent, he wouldn't be able to hit water if he fell from a boat." Harry pictured this and chuckled.

"I'm worried about Snape, too." he whispered.

"Snape is the least of your problems right now. Voldemort is killing his own Death Eaters off. He killed my parents just last week."

"Oh, Ariadne. I'm so sorry." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. He smelled like cinnamon and pistachio ice cream. It was soothing, but not as soothing as she imagined Draco would smell like.

Wait, back that up, what? Ariadne was imaging Draco comforting her? Why did her brain plant such impossible images into her brain?

"So I guess I can finally say I know how you feel." she said feebly. Harry saw Ron and Hermione, who waved to Ariadne and began walking over.

"I don't want them to see me like this. Just tell them Happy Christmas for me, won't you?" Harry squeezed her hand again and whispered, "If you ever wanted to escape, all you have to do is come to me. I can help you." his fingers grazed across her covered Dark Mark as he rushed over to his friends. He left Ariadne half-shocked and confused.

Did he know?

XXX

Ariadne finally found Narcissa in Madame Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions, a cosmetic supplier slash hair salon that got rid of "warts and worse." Narcissa got her black lowlights re-dyed by the Madame herself.

"Oh, Ariadne! Are you all finished?" the girl glanced at the bags in her hand. She got Wyvern a box load of candy from Sugarplum's Sweets and a pretty necklace, Narcissa and Lucius complementing bottles of perfume and cologne, and went back to the Quidditch store to get Harry a pair of gloves as well. She'd send them with an owl as soon as they got home.

"Yes, I am, thank you, Narcissa."

"Then get your hair done while you're here! The Madame has a new coconut-vanilla shampoo that smells heavenly." Another stylist shoved Ariadne into a chair and began kneading her long fingers throughout the white-blonde tresses.

She decided she'd relax now, if only for a short while.

XXX

Once the two women returned to the Malfoy Manor, preparations for the party went quickly under way. It seemed as if all the Death Eaters summoned their personal House-elves to assist the Malfoy's usual crew. One couldn't take more than three steps without trodding over one of the tiny creatures. Ariadne re-decorated the Grand Ballroom with twice as much candor. Within the hour, the room exploded with tasteful holiday spirit. Instead of red and green, per tradition, silver and gold replaced all the decorations. The blonde girl cast an enchantment that charmed the ceiling to act similarly to the ceiling in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. It would be "snowing" during the party that night.

With her part of the work completed, Ariadne rushed upstairs to get ready. She flung open Draco's bedroom door and ran smack into him. The force that she hit him with sent them both tumbling onto the wooden floor. Draco's head knocked against the surface with a sickening thud.

"Can you stop getting in my way?" Draco growled. Ariadne stayed where she was, completely on top of him, and clapped a hand over her mouth in mock worry.

"Draco! I'm so sorry I ran into you! I hope I didn't harm that devilishly handsome face!" she slapped his cheek for good measure. Draco rolled his icy eyes and stared at her blankly.

"Get off of me." He asked her. Ariadne silenced the next slew of curses about to spew from Draco's open mouth with a kiss. It stopped Draco dead in his tracks.

She slowly ran her hand through his white-blond hair, massaging his scalp and eventually supporting Draco's neck with said hand. He responded by placing his hands on her hips and drawing her down so she was laying on top of him. They stayed that way, kissing and tangled, until someone threw open the door.

Pansy Parkinson shrieked in horror and stamped her feet, throwing a tantrum like a screaming child.

"Drakie, how could you _do _this to me?" she whined. Draco ignored her complaints and merely kissed Ariande with more fervor.

"My father will hear about this!" she sneered. Draco broke the kiss and shouted after her, "Hey! That's _my_ line!"

XXX


	14. Belle of the Ball

**Thanks to those who always review, I'll start doing review replies at the bottom of every chapter! If you review after a chapter's already been posted and I missed you, I'm sorry, I'll squeeze you in next time or via PM!**

**FOR THE SEXY AS HELL PICTURE OF WHO I THINK IS A GOOD THEODORE NOTT:  
**h t t p : / / w w w . f o r m s p r i n g . m e / T h e o d o r e n o t t 1 / p i c t u r e  
(remove all spaces)

**So please, enjoy! ANDD REVIEWW. **

**XXX**

The moment Pansy slammed the door behind her Ariadne wriggled from Draco's arms and stood up.

"Why did you kiss me?" Draco's voice slipped into an air of suspicion. Ariadne began unraveling the long braid that ran down her before responding.

"Because I wanted to." She said frankly, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. The Slytherin boy was uncertain of a certain blonde's motives and decided to keep his guard up. It could be a ruse to try and trick him into doing something he'd regret completely. As Ariadne showered, Draco sat at his desk and pulled out the journal he hid inside a secret drawer. He flipped to a clean page and dipped a hawk-feather quill into red ink.

"Reasons not to trust Ariadne." he muttered as he wrote. "One: willingly let me kiss her, see her naked, and sleep beside her." Draco knew Ariadne wasn't the slutty type, so her behavior was driven by the hidden feelings she harbored for Draco or some sort of devious plot to destroy him. Draco was sure of the latter and underlined it a few times. Ariadne wouldn't best him with some silly plan this time.

"Two: she has been assigned to kill Albus Dumbledore with me. She might want revenge on Voldemort and not complete the mission, therefore putting me and my family in jeopardy." To any bystander Draco must have looked like a madman. He was whispering furiously to his green, leather-bound journal, red-inked quill in hand and hair dishelved. Not to mention the excess remnants of Ariadne's cherry lip balm on his mouth.

"Three…" he tapped the tip of the quill on the paper, causing beads of the red ink to bleed in blotchy patches. When he could not come up with a suitable reason, he wrote, "to be determined." Having that figured out made Draco feel a bit better—as if he was one step ahead of his adversary for once. Ariadne exited the bathroom and entered his closet then, intent on changing into her evening clothes. Grabbing his towel and new shampoo, Draco rushed into the bathroom before Ariadne could make some possessive claim about still needing the mirror.

Unlike his new roommate, Draco preferred a lukewarm shower. Water that was too hot always left Draco sweating even after he finished getting ready. Into his hair went the spicy shampoo that made his scalp tingle—the same smell, unbeknownst to the Slytherin—that Ariadne was attracted to. But whether or not it was the shampoo's scent alone was still a mystery. The blond boy stepped into a fresh pair of underwear and toweled off his hair. In the mirror, a pale and worried boy stared at him.

"Is that really me?" he touched the dark circles under his eyes gingerly.

"Yes, Draco! It has to be you!" Ariadne laughed from the bedroom. "It's a mind-blowing phenomenon, I'm sure, but I'll make it easy for you. It's called a _mirror, _and even Muggles have them! When you look into one, it'll reflect back whatever's in front of it!" she was reduced to giggles but Draco wasn't really listening. He was more concerned about how dead he looked. The stress of Voldemort's task, on top of pleasing his parents and winning Ariadne's heart (while avoiding a sure disaster with one of her schemes) was really getting to him.

He poked his cheek with his wand and the bags disappeared for the time being. The blond then slipped into a form-fitting grey suit, with a white undershirt and a black bow tie. As a final touch, he fastened a gardenia over his heart. A while back, he had overheard Wyvern and Ariadne blabbering away in Defense Against the Dark Arts about the plant.

_"Today we will be covering various dark objects and how to detect them…" Moody rasped. On his long desk he had arranged trinkets that belched smoke, looked seemingly harmless, and moaned in pain. It was at that point when Draco zoned out. Moody had moved him away from Ariadne last week, when he accidentally released the Grindylow they were supposed to be sedating from its tank. A glance to Ariadne's ankle told him the bite marks still weren't healing. Blaise was now his desk mate, and he spent the majority of the period staring out of the window and at the snowy grounds. _

_The two boys were seated one table behind Wyvern and Ariadne, with Draco and Blaise's row in the very back of the classroom. Instead of paying attention to Moody, like he knew he should have, he instead eavesdropped on the conversations between the girls in front of him. _

_"Gardenias?" Wyvern hissed. Ariadne tapped a spot on her desk and a white flower bloomed there. She picked it up and practically stuffed it in her nose. Ariadne exhaled its sweet perfume and replied, "Yes, Wy, gardenias. If a guy gave me gardenias—"_

_"But it's not like they have stems, really. They grow on bushes or trees, don't they?" _

_"Not the point! They're so beautiful." In her open palm, the petals opened and closed as if the flower were breathing. _

_"You're weird, girl. Most of us would be satisfied with some roses." Wyvern went back to painting her nails black and her blonde friend tucked the flower behind her ear._

_"Nocturne!" Moody growled. "Does this look like Herbology to you?" Ariadne blushed deeply and quickly pulled the flower out of her hair, letting it fall to the ground._

Draco finally unlocked the washroom's door and stepped out to find Ariadne charming the last of her long blonde hair. It was wavy, per usual, but the waves were neater. They looked deliberate instead of natural. Her body was sheathed in white spandex-satin, and tall white pumps were on her feet. Makeup on her eyes made them look like glittering stones.

Seconds that seemed like hours dragged on as they stared at each other. The fact that they matched almost perfectly made them both smile sheepishly. Ariadne stood and walked out of the door, a recently-groomed Zeus in her wake.

XXX

Ariadne hurried down the staircase to see if Narcissa needed any last minute help with the party. The entire Manor smelled of cinnamon and fresh pine, two scents Ariadne found comforting. Guests were flooding the entry way and the adjoining coat room, shrugging out of expensive fur and leather used to shield from the frigid terrain outside. A loud, obtrusive voice cut over the casual chatter of the incoming Death Eaters.

"Oi! Ariadne! C'mere!" Ariadne's face fell as she recognized the voice. It was Wyvern's older brother, Pythos.

Wyvern's family was what one could call divided. Her brother Pythos, an ex-Slytherin prodigy, was made a Death Eater the moment he graduated from Hogwarts. Pythos and his father were the only two Slytherin to succumb to the Dark Lord's folly, if only to protect the reputation of their other family members. These children, including Wyvern, were labeled as blood traitors. Pythos inheirited his father's genes, standing tall at about six and a half feet. The man ran a carefree hand through messy brown hair and winked a light brown eye at Ariadne. He swept her off of the floor and into a bear hug.

"This is so unlike you, Pythos." Ariadne gasped as her lungs were compressed. "What happened to the stoic, silent guy I used to know?"

"I had to get your attention somehow. Wyvern couldn't come, so she told me to give you these." He slipped her two wrapped packages and Ariadne handled them carefully. An attentive House-elf offered to take them upstairs for her.

"Where is your father?" Ariadne walked into the ball with her arm hooked around Pythos'. The tall man, who couldn't have been more than twenty years old, merely shrugged. The ballroom was filled with people, and Ariadne and Pythos had a difficult time maneuvering through the throng to the drink table.

"He's been missin' for awhile, but he'll come home. I'm sure of it." Pythos gulped down a pint of ale and slammed the glass back on the table. Ariadne chugged back a beer with equal fervor.

"Ah! Quite the little drinker we've got here!" Pythos joked quietly. Ariadne shrugged with a smile and took another in her small hand.

"No one can tell me what to do anymore. I'm seventeen and orphaned on bloody Christmas Eve." With a half-hearted wave of her hand, she batted away the magical snow she conjured earlier. Pythos pulled out his wand, a thirteen inch deadwood with cobra poison at its core, and slashed it at the ceiling. The gentle snowfall accelerated into a windy blizzard.

"What in the name of Merlin?" Lucius ducked as a flurry of ice swirled dangerously close to his face. Ariadne counter-charmed the curse with a neat swish of her Cypress and unicorn hair wand.

"Don't do that again." she hissed, putting her wand away with one hand and draining the last of her beer with the other. Ariadne walked away from Pythos then and sat at a table with some fellow Slytherins. Jericho was at the party, dressed in fine purple silk that brushed the floor. The two girls chatted idly about Quidditch and Christmas and other trivial nonsense. Pansy Parkinson was at the next table over, seated by a gaggle of her annoying drones.

"You look like a whore, Nocturne." she said nasally. A girl Ariadne thought she had seen before laughed loudly at Pansy's remark. She was short, with shoulder-length golden hair. Her eyes were a dark, foresty green.

"Do you really not know how to compliment someone, Parkinson?" she spat. She was dressed in red, which made her pale skin stand in harsh contrast to the color. Pansy narrowed her beady black eyes.

"Shut your smart mouth, Caroline Walker. Just because your daddy is a Death Eater you think you can boss around a Seventh Year?" Caroline shrugged and raised an eyebrow.

"So what if I'm a Sixth Year? At least I'm not ugly like you."

"Good comeback."

"Suck it." Caroline took an empty seat next to Jericho, one of her closest friends. Ariadne just sat in silence, witnessing the entire affair before chiming in.

"No need to defend me, Caroline, although the thought it appreciated. I just like to let Pansy feel good about herself every once in awhile." On her face was a look of mock sympathy. Ariadne inhaled again to launch another slew of verbal attacks when Theodore Nott tapped her on the shoulder. The breath she was saving for curses now gushed from her lungs as she gawked at him.

Theodore was wearing a sharp black button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. A white bow tie sat just below his adam's apple. Equally slimming and form-fitting black slacks covered his long legs. His dark hair was left messy, giving him the sexy, "I just rolled out of bed" appearance. In his large hand was a single gardenia blossom. **(AUTHOR'S NOTE: SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT GO TO THE LINK I POSTED IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER *SCROLL UP* TO SEE THEODORE AS I SEE HIM. SOOO HOT.) **

Caroline nudged Ariadne with an elbow to prompt her brain to start working again.

"This is for you, Ari." He said quietly. Ariadne accepted the gardenia and then his hand as he pulled her up and into a hug.

"How did you know I liked gardenias?" she asked, running her fingers along the fuzzy petals. Theodore smirked and said, "A little winged serpent told me."

_Wyvern! _Ariadne thought. _If he didn't look so damned handsome I'd have to kill her for this…_

Theodore led her onto the dance floor just as a waltz began playing. "You know the steps, don't you?" he asked. Ariadne nodded dreamily and felt her body move automatically, mentally grateful for muscle memory. Theodore would lean down every now and then and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. It made her stomach flip, as if a herd of stampeding centaurs were tromping around in it.

"You look beautiful, Ariadne." Theodore smiled and Ariadne thanked him. "I hope you don't find this—erm—impertinent." He stooped to brush a kiss against her cheek.

Just as Draco walked in.

XXX

The blond Slytherin happened to look up at precisely the wrong moment. He watched Theodore Nott, the bleeding wanker who swore he'd never touch Ariadne, brush those lying lips against her cheek.

An envious poison began bubbling in the pit of his gut. _That lowlife mangy, good-for-nothing arse! _

Theodore dipped Ariadne so deep that her long hair pooled on the floor. Once he pulled her back into the waltz he locked eyes with Draco. Immediately Nott's face scrunched into an expression of sheer guilt—mixed with a bit of terror.

"God damn him, there's a gardenia in her damned hair!" Draco seethed. The music reached its crescendo and then stopped. Ariadne giggled as Theodore kissed her hand and walked away, melting into the crowd. Ariadne turned and saw Draco, who looked as angry as a Hungarian horntail with a hernia. Her eyes glossed over in confusion and she sat back down at her table with sixth year Slytherin Caroline Walker.

"Honestly, the entire Slytherin House and their families are here!" Blaise appeared out of nowhere with a small plate of finger sandwiches. He popped them in his mouth as Draco stood stiffly beside him.

"Oh, you must have noticed Nocturne and Nott." He smirked slightly and offered Draco a sandwich, which he wordlessly declined.

"Everyone thinks they can just _get_ with her, yknow?" Draco reluctantly accepted the bite-sized sandwich Blaise was waving in his face and swallowed it whole.

"Who do those gits think they are, anyway?" Blaise affirmed. Draco shot him a glare and hissed, "You're one of those blokes! You lied to Ariadne that night Snape gave the Amortentia experiment!" Blaise's eyes widened.

"You know about that?" Blaise asked. A monotone voice behind them drawled, "Yes, Mr. Zabini, everybody knows about that. Tampering with _my_ assignments will not prove beneficial to your general well-being." Snape looked down on the sheepish Slytherin with black eyes. Blaise shrunk back involuntarily.

"Sorry, Professor. It won't happen again." Blaise pretended his mother was calling him from across the room and ducked into a large mass of people, escaping further ridicule. Snape clapped a hand on Draco's shoulder and gave him a hard look.

"In due time." Without deciphering the cryptic message, Snape left as well. Draco hadn't been in the ballroom for five minutes without being annoyed, angered, and confused by a number of different people. With a pale hand he rubbed his aching temples.

"I need a drink." he shuffled through the groups of dark witches and wizards, offering hellos and handshakes and hugs to some. The amount of people was just adding to Draco's irritation. Anything that stood between Draco and his sudden need for alcohol became an instant enemy. Finally he reached the table and saw that one more thing was standing in his way. A girl about his age, with white blonde wavy hair and slate grey eyes. Ariadne.

She turned and almost spilled the two beers she had in hand. Instead of the amber ale, Ariadne had chosen two pints of dark Guinness.

"Is one of those for Nott?" Draco sneered. Ariadne looked hurt and spat back, "No, they're both for me!" To add insult to injury, Draco casually picked up a strand of her hair and inspected it. "Looks limp."

"I'll show you what's limp!" she snarled. With a dramatic arc of her arm, Ariadne grabbed Draco's crotch in front of the entire Christmas party. Luckily, the size of the occasion was too large for everyone to stop and the music to cut, but nevertheless a good forty people witnessed the event. To Ariadne's relief, Lucius and Narcissa were not around.

Ariadne released Draco's family jewels and drank the two beers in her hand. She strode out of the ballroom and sat on the bottom step of the grand staircase. Drunken tears, the type that surfaced for no particular reason, spilled over long lashes and down her cheeks. She sat like that, crying and inebriated and alone, until she heard familiar footsteps. Hopes wild, she looked toward the door, where a tall Asian boy was handing his coat to a House-elf. His Father walked past Ariadne and into the party.

Once Toran Taminama closed the door behind him, Ariadne sprinted and nearly tackled the half blind boy.

"Hiro! What a sight for desperately drunken eyes! I mean…sore ones." She snuggled into his skinny chest.

"Uh, do I know you?" Ariadne looked up to see a dark-haired man who was definitely _not_ Hiro. This wizard wasn't Asian at all.

"Hey! You're not Hiro!" she slurred, releasing the other man and stumbling toward the door. She fell into the real Hiro's grasp.

"Miss Nocturne, where have you been these past months?" his voice, smooth and suave as ever, sounded different to Ariadne. Deeper—older? She couldn't put a finger on it. Ariadne started to sob into his chest. He hoisted her up over her shoulder and began to laugh.

"Darling, you'll ruin my shirt if you keep crying on me." He swung her down into his arms and planted a friendly kiss on her forehead. He smelled strongly of mint.

"I've just missed you is all. It's been torture here!" Hiro gently sat down on the bottom step of the marble staircase and pulled Ariadne into his lap.

"Did you get my letter?" he whispered into her hair. Ariadne nodded and felt her heart flutter. "Good." He kissed the top of her head and held her close in the darkness of the entrance hall. His long, nimble fingers combed through her hair soothingly until her tears stopped.

"Why did you come here? How?"Ariadne asked. Hiro explained that his father is a close "business" (cough Death Eater cough) partner to Lucius. He didn't need to explain why his muggle mother didn't attend. By the time Ariadne had dried up and made sure her makeup hadn't run, it was almost midnight. Usually any Malfoy celebration stretched far into the early hours of the morning, and this made midnight the half-way point. Usually everyone was served water and ginger ale, so as to ease the stomach for the second wave of food and alcohol.

Hiro took Ariadne's hand and helped her up, escorting her into the ballroom as Pythos did hours earlier. Guests were now seated at the dining tables, chatting idly over flaky puff pastry and glasses frothing with ginger ale. Hiro looked around for the Dark Lord but couldn't find him.

"He's not here." Ariadne hissed at his shoulder. "He never attends these types of things." And it was true. Voldemort usually slunk away to barricade himself in the library during a party of this size. Who knows whether or not an Order member would be present incognito? Larger crowds meant more people who were likely to talk about locations and conversations and the aspirations of the entire operation.

"A third guy, Nocturne?" Draco said coldly, squeezing from around someone's backside to get a look at the man. When he realized it was Hiro, his face reddened in anger.

"What're you doing here, Taminama?" Draco demanded. Hiro raised a brow and winked his blind eye.

"Your mum invited me. She knew how much Ariadne missed me." The blond was having a difficult time keeping his rage in check. Ariadne pretended not to hear the exchange and was suddenly extremely interested with a thread on her dress.

Caroline, who watched quietly from the next table, stood and grabbed Ariadne's wrist.

"Come, Ariadne! I know my parents would love to formally meet you!" she whisked the other blonde away and dragged her toward the Christmas tree.

XXX

Hours later, once the party had ended and the guests all left, the only people who remained were the main Death Eaters and their families.

Many of the groups were leaving once dawn broke to give the Malfoys a private family Christmas. Voldemort held a meeting in the drawing room exclusively for his seasoned Death Eaters. This allowed Ariadne to trudge off to bed, but not before hugging Hiro goodbye. She squeezed him with all her strength as he placed another kiss in her hair.

"Thank you, Hiro." she mumbled into his chest. He laughed and winked his blue eye at her.

"Don't mention it, Ariadne. If you want to stay at my place for the rest of the break, just send me an owl and I'll come rescue you." Ariadne giggled and retreated up the grand staircase to Draco's bedroom, where she removed her dress and shoes and tugged on pajamas. Hiro's shirt smelled better than it ever had in the past.

Down in the ballroom, which was now dark and deserted, Hiro picked at the remnants of the buffet tables and sat down by the wall of windows, looking out at the falling snow. The large clock hanging on the wall above the hearth told the half-blind boy it was three in the morning.

His peaceful reverie was soon broken by Draco, who entered the ballroom and made his way over to Hiro, slashing his wand at tables so they'd jump out of his way. Draco yanked out the seat across from the Asian wizard and stared at him hard.

"You've done a very stupid thing, Taminama. I saw you kiss her goodbye." He seethed. Hiro took a bite out of a caramel apple, licking the bit that ran onto his chin with a pink tongue. He redirected his gaze from the windows back to the other Slytherin.

"I've done nothing that I wouldn't have done before." Hiro said with finality. Draco's hand twisted around the tablecloth as his fists clenched. "And besides, what should it matter to you? I thought you hated her. I thought you called her fat and ugly. If so, there should be no reason for this conversation." He gnawed off another large chunk of the apple, ignorant of the crushed peanuts that peppered his lap.

"It's not like that." Draco said indignantly. Hiro raised a skeptical brow.

"Listen, Malfoy. Have you ever heard the story of the Greek goddess for which Ariadne was named?" Hiro stood and walked to the windows.

"Ariadne was a beautiful maiden who lived with her father, King Minos. Her name means, 'utterly pure'." He finished the apple before speaking again. "As you don't know, King Minos had a Labyrinth built to house the ferocious Minotaur, and to keep any wayward traveler from entering his kingdom. As a sacrifice to the Minotaur, every year King Minos would send eight men and eight women into the Labyrinth to be swallowed whole. The young hero known as Theseus was chosen as one of the eight men one year." Hiro took a long finger and drew a bull's head on the foggy glass.

"Ariadne saw Theseus and, drawn by his beauty, was said to have fallen in love with him instantly. She supported Theseus by giving him a red ball of twine and a sword, so he may smite his enemy and follow the twine back to the light of day."

"What does this have to do with Ariadne?" Draco asked. Hiro shook his head and continued.

"When Theseus killed the Minotaur, he abandoned Ariadne. He probably called her ugly and fat." His eyes narrowed into a harsh glare. It was said that Ariadne then died of a broken heart." The apple's core sat, browning and bitten, on the table by Draco. He stared at it with a mild look of disgust.

"But then, the Greek god Dionysus, who loved Ariadne from afar, went down into the depths of the Underworld to bring her back as a goddess. Now immortal, she could live in happiness with her new consort as the most beautiful goddess on Mount Olympus. Maybe even more beautiful than Aphrodite herself."

Hiro sat back down with his hands folded on the table.

"So what happened to Theseus, then? Now that Ariadne was in 'better care'?"

"Theseus was thrown off a cliff by his enemy, Lycomedes. He knew of Theseus' dishonesty and tossed him to his death."

XXX

**StifledCreativity: thank you so much! I'm glad you stumbled onto my story, and I guess it's easy to start anywhere if I understand the review correctly ^_^ I try very hard to make my characters real and believeable. Hope to hear from you again! **

**SavageTrickster: yes, they kissed again *muahahahha* but will it last? O_O I always appreciate your reviews and how you're one of the biggest advocates of Ariadne and Draco, don't worry, their time will come…. Or will it ? **

**XXmizzAlecVolturiXX: thanks for your dedication ! your reviews always make me smile. **

**StayBeautiful1: your reviews are always positive and constructive, thank you for loving Stuck so much! I hope I made Caroline well, she'll appear more as the story progresses! Tell me if I should change anything!**

**SOOOO REVIEWWW! :D **


	15. Meet My Demands

**Thank you soo much for reviewing, everyone! :D you guys made my day yesterday! I've actually had my first real brush with people from England, and I must say that I feel really stupid. **

**They came to my neighborhood's Jacuzzi and I forgot my shoes when I left so I ran back to the pool and they asked why I was so forgetful and of course me, with bad hearing and a short attention span, had no idea what they were saying. Then one of them mutters something about being thirteen and I was like what? And kinda gave them a weird look (their accents were so thick, and im 18, so wtf) so I feel like they said something that I either didn't understand or they thought I was thirteen. :0**

**So yeah, I hope my next experience is better T_T because they were cute and my age *sigh***

**Thanks for reading my rant, please enjoy.**

**XXX**

Ariadne woke up early and turned over to watch Draco sleep. The boy tossed fitfully, muttering about cliffs and bulls and other random nonsense. Her soft hands reached out to touch Draco's pale cheek. It looked very warm.

With her suspicions confirmed, she sucked up Draco's heat by cuddling close to his body. To accommodate the foreign presence he subconsciously threw his arm around her so he could get comfortable once more. Thoughts of Snape and his warnings flashed across Ariadne's mind. She knew she wouldn't be able to kill Dumbledore. Dumbledore was always her advocate—anyone's advocate—and one of the greatest wizards of all time. If their Lord Voldemort feared him, with all of his power and strength and extraordinary skills in magic, how were two children supposed to murder him?

A House-elf came in with a silver platter, stacked neatly with a teapot, two cups, and two cans of ginger ale. The little elf bowed deeply when he noticed Ariadne was awake and asked how she liked her tea.

"Scorching hot, if you please. With honey and sugar as well."

"Right away, Miss Nocturne!" the elf poured the cup with shaking hands and gave it to the blonde, who sipped it gingerly. The elf stared at her with glassy, tennis-ball eyes.

"Uh, pardon me, Miss Ariadne? Forgive me for being so imprudent, but I beg you to hear me before making a decision. Free me, please. You saw what they did to Rosie, Miss Ariadne. They were talking about doing the same sort of torture to me, Miss Nocturne. They have so many elves here, they wouldn't even notice I'm gone if you free me. I work so hard and I just want to finish the rest of my life peacefully." The elf grabbed her wrist gently with skinny fingers. Ariadne walked over to Draco's bureau and pulled open a wooden drawer. Inside were socks and underwear.

"Mr. Draco's intimates!" Ariadne giggled to the elf. She picked out a sock that had no pair and threw it on the ground.

"Now, erm—" she paused for the elf to offer his name. "Trebble, is it? Pick up that sock and hand it to me." Ariadne said firmly. Once the elf obliged she pretended as if she "dropped" the sock into Trebble's hands. Trebble nearly cried with glee and disapparated out of sight as soon as he thanked Ariadne profusely.

"That was strange." Ariadne tugged a pair of black yoga pants onto her legs and a dark green sweatshirt over Hiro's tee. Her hair, still wavy from the night before, was left alone apart from the headband she slipped on. The Slytherin girl roused Draco and left quickly, without giving him the chance to ask questions or slow her down. Ariadne decided to get her Christmas with the Malfoys started and finished in a timely manner.

The Manor seemed so large and empty without the constant presence of Death Eaters. It seemed as if overnight the Manor grew back to its old size and candor. Her footsteps actually echoed as she walked to the ballroom. Inside, Narcissa and Lucius were seated by the tree with cups of coffee and a light breakfast set before them. Draco's family served two breakfast-type meals on Christmas, a continental consisting of finger food, and a large brunch that would be served after presents were opened. Ariadne took a seat across from the Malfoys and poured herself a small cappuccino.

"Happy Christmas, dear." Narcissa smiled, reaching across the table to pat Ariadne's arm. The blonde girl smiled and wished the same.

"There was quite a stir in the kitchen this morning, you know." Lucius gestured to the tree. "A whole flock of owls were waiting with gifts for you." Ariadne was surprised and didn't try to hide it. The shock on her face must have been evident, because her expression made Lucius and Narcissa chuckle. They were suddenly interrupted by a small scuffle of footsteps.

"Mr. Malfoy! There's a telegram for you at the door!" a House-elf squeaked.

"On Christmas morning?" Lucius rose and walked out of the ballroom, passing a sleepy Draco as he left. The aforementioned Slytherin rubbed something from his eyes and sat next to Ariadne. His half-asleep stupor prevented him from realizing that the girl he was supposed to be touchy around was sitting beside him.

"When your Dad gets back, why don't we open presents, Draco?" it surprised Ariadne that Narcissa still got worked up about Christmas—given the state of the wizarding world. Draco gulped down a glass of pulpy orange juice and shuffled over to the tree.

"Oh my, he's still asleep, isn't he?" Narcissa laughed. Lucius re-entered with a grim look on his sharp features. Narcissa's laugh went from jovial to slightly skittish.

"It was Snape's patronus. The Dark Lord is angry." he announced. A pale sweat had broken over Lucius' brow. He took the armchair next to Narcissa by the tree and fidgeted with his fingers.

"What does that mean?" Ariadne asked. Lucius swallowed hard before responding.

"He wants me to go and steal a prophecy from the Department of Ministries. Two prophecies, to be exact. It's a complicated matter, left best undiscussed on a morning like this. Who's going to be first? Narcissa, my love? Grab the one with the poinsettia paper." His abrupt change of subject fooled no one. He was as scared and worried as he had been five minutes ago.

"Please, darling. Do settle down and enjoy the holiday." Narcissa whispered to him. Lucius took a cup of hot tea from her and sipped it, relaxing considerably. Lucius' wife unwrapped the gift delicately and pulled out a beautiful lace chemise.

"Gorgeous! Lucius, I love it." She rubbed the fine fabric against her cheek. Lucius assured her it was no problem and kissed her on the cheek. Draco took a present labeled for him and tore it open. Inside the box was Ariadne's gift to him—with a letter she had written. The letter disappeared into Draco's breast pocket.

The blond boy was speechless. He honestly didn't think Ariadne would get him anything, seeing the way he had been treating her as of late. But in his lap was a brand new broom cleaning set and seeker's gloves. The gifts alone were expensive and was far too much for Draco. He felt guilty accepting them. He leaned across from his spot on the floor and gave Ariadne an awkward, one-armed hug, muttering a "thank you" under his breath. Ariadne smiled and said it was no trouble.

Lucius was ecstatic to receive a traveling cloak as nice as the one Narcissa bought—so excited that he tried it on and ran outside on the deck. He looked comical—holding up the billows of the robe so they wouldn't get wet in the snow that fell on the ground. Both of Draco's parents liked the perfumes Ariadne selected, and Ariadne likewise appreciated the boots and knitted hat they gave her.

Draco received a fair amount of clothes from "Santa" with tags explaining how much Draco needed new clothes. Ariadne got a few outfits as well.

"Narcissa, you didn't have to do all this for me." Ariadne said, stomach twisting in guilt.

"I know I didn't have to, but I did anyway." She smiled and waved her wallet at her.

"If the money's there and it's something I'm sure you'd enjoy, then I cannot find a good reason to say no." Ariadne beamed and picked up a small box in blue wrapping. The sticker on it had a familiar, sharp scrawl on it. She opened it to find a letter from Hiro. Underneath the small folded parchment was a stunning necklace. The chain was thin and silver, and dangling at the bottom was a stone shaped in a perfect heart. The small jewel shone with a cloudy blue hue—the exact shade of Hiro's blind eye. She tried to form words but found they wouldn't come. Hastily she threw her hair to the side and fastened it. Instead of reading what she knew would be another proclamation of love, she placed the letter under her leg for safekeeping. It was wedged between her thigh and her spot on the marble floor.

"Oh, this is weird. Snape got us both presents." Draco said uneasily. He delicately handled the two boxes—as if they were going to explode—and handed Ariadne the one addressed to her. She pulled off the ribbon and peered inside the shallow box to find two items—a small, leather-bound journal and a clear glass pendant in the shape of a circle. Ariadne looped the glass circle onto Hiro's necklace, where it rested behind the blue heart. Inside Draco's box was a book that he quickly hid, and a new set of quills that apparently checked spelling, re-inked themselves, and could write on their own.

"What a lovely thought of Professor Snape!" Narcissa cooed, rubbing the perfume Ariadne gave her on her thin wrist. Draco rolled his eyes. Ariadne got an unmarked box and opened it to find a beautiful gardenia. This flower was not any normal bloom, however, because when she touched the plant it seemed to be breathing. Alive. A small note in the box claimed it was to go in her hair, and it would last indefinitely.

"Hm, interesting." She clipped the flower behind her ear and it adjusted to her scalp, twitching slightly. A present from Harry included a small metal ring that was made of brass and carved to look like a snake. It rested on her finger tightly, and every now and then would slither and writhe into a new shape. Draco handed Ariadne his gift and asked her not to open it until later. She obliged and set the box down with her pile of presents.

The House-elves cleared the wrappings and began to set up for the Christmas brunch. On the guest list was Snape, Bellatrix, a few cousins belonging to the Black/Malfoy families, and maybe Draco's Grandmother, Winifred. Within the hour everyone had arrived, and were just sitting down to platters of fruit, eggs, and other breakfast items.

"Miss Nocturne, is it?" Winifred Malfoy, mother to Lucius and grandmother to Draco, squinted her icy eyes at the young blonde. Ariadne smiled and took her frail hand in her soft grasp.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy." She said sincerely. Winifred grinned in return and turned to Draco.

"What a lovely fiancée, Draco! Pureblood _and_ pretty! Well done, boy. See, Lucius? And you said he'd never find someone suitable!" Winifred clapped Draco on the back and he nearly choked on the muffin he had bitten into. _Fianc__é__e! _

"Grandma, Ariadne's not my fiancée." Draco mumbled awkwardly. The old woman's mouth fell open in confusion.

"Well isn't that a shame. Get working on it, then!" she insisted. Draco and Ariadne both flushed a hot scarlet.

XXX

After the presents had been opened, brunch served and cleared, and guests gone, Ariadne retreated to the library to leave Draco and his family alone. With her she brought her small pile of gifts.

The letter that accompanied Hiro's heart pendant was heartbreakingly sweet.

_My Dearest Ariadne,_

_Happy Christmas! I shouldn't have to explain what the necklace means. You've already got my heart, love, and this just makes that a bit more official, I suppose. It's blue like my eye, obviously, but I just wanted you to have it in case something bad happens and you need something to hold on to. I secretly wish that something would be me, but for right now I'll settle with you having that necklace. Just think, a few more months and we're done with schooling. I can finally move back to where I used to live, and we could see each other much more often. _

_I miss you, and love you._

_-Hiro_

More tears pooled in Ariadne's slate eyes. What Hiro was doing wasn't fair. Inside of the seventeen-year old was a tumult of emotion, and his frequent acts of love only made her confusion skyrocket. She wasn't sure if she loved Hiro back. She knew that love was present, that was for sure, but was it romantic?

Ariadne slipped off the couch and onto the floor, laying on the marble with her cheek squished against her eye. She didn't feel like moving anywhere else. A loud creak of the door informed the sulking girl that someone else was in the room with her. Terrifying chills ran down her spine and in her nostrils was the stench of death. The Dark Lord had returned. Instead of standing in a half-bow, like she should have, she continued her crying silently

"What do we have here, Nagini?" the thought of the snake being on the same level as her (the floor) made her jump up immediately. Something reminiscent of a smile was plastered onto Voldemort's white skin.

"Happy Christmas, my lord." Ariadne sniffed. The greeting sounded utterly stupid in her mouth. Why would the Dark Lord care about Christmas?

"Thank you, young Ariadne. But it seems as if your Christmas is not as...joyful. I've come to discuss the mission I've assigned you and Draco. I can't help but wonder whether or not you're suited for the task." Ariadne felt her heart stop. This day was just getting from bad to worse. Ariadne tried to wipe the look of horror and dread from her face and replied steadily, "What would make you think that I cannot fulfill your wishes, my lord?"

Voldemort took a quiet step towards her, eliminating the distance between them. The Dark Lord rested a cold hand on her cold cheek and stared into her slate eyes.

"You are brave enough to stare _me_ in the eyes. Such audacity wouldn't even be _dreamed _about by some of my most seasoned followers." Ariadne didn't dare blink. "I am unsure of how to feel about such boldness." Voldemort dropped his hand from her face.

"Please, milord, don't take it as outright disrespect. I only wanted to show you that I can be evil, as your other followers." She inclined her head slightly in submission. Voldemort chuckled and said, "There is no good or evil, there is only power…and those too weak to seek it."

"I have the strength. I'm not weak." Declared Ariadne. Voldemort dissolved into black smoke and flew around the room, reappearing with a terrible face mere centimeters from hers. It took all of her concentration not to shriek and flinch.

"Your heart is too pure. I thought murdering your pathetic parents would harden you. My efforts have gone unrewarded, Miss Ariadne. How can you prove your loyalty to my cause?" Voldemort's breath was rotten on her neck.

"Milord, is my word not enough for you? A weak, pitiful person would have run from your legion once they found out their family had been killed by it. I obviously do not fear this task or what it asks of me. I have been strong and unyielding throughout the death of my parents and the weight it has rested on my shoulders." Ariadne knew it was risky challenging his clan, or its bravery, but in her heart she knew she had said the right thing.

"Ariadne, I recognize your extraordinary finesse in the art of lying. I myself am considered a master. But you cannot fool me." Nagini slithered around Ariadne's legs, weaving her way up and around the girl's calves.

"But you also know that Draco will not do this alone." Ariadne whispered. If she was on thin ice before, she was skating on it now. Voldemort considered this for a moment.

"I was originally going to give this assignment to Draco and Draco alone…" Nagini began tightening her coils and Ariadne felt a heartbeat in her thighs. A single bead of sweat ran down her brow. She prayed it would go unnoticed, but to her dismay, Voldemort wiped it away with a long-nailed finger.

"You have remained most calm in my presence, Ariadne." He disposed of the sweat on her shirt. "Many would have succumbed to begging by now. Your bravery is either true desire or defiance. To find out which of them it is, I will conduct a quick test." Voldemort snaked his arm around her shoulder and Nagini released her instantly.

"Touch my Dark Mark, Ariadne." He pulled back his sleeve to reveal the original brand, the interlocking skull and snake that imprisoned them all. Ariadne extended a thin finger to graze the tattoo. "Today would be lovely, Miss Nocturne." Ariadne swallowed the knot in her throat and pressed her finger to the black mark. Her entire being was ignited instantly. Pain, a searing, white-hot agony, stabbed Ariadne in every cell, every synapse of her existence. She slumped to the ground and vomited brunch all over the floor.

"I have never seen vomit, but it will have to do. One person died once…" he smiled as if enjoying a fond memory. "Come, Ariadne. I have summoned the Death Eaters for a meeting. Or should I say, _you_ have summoned them. Do not make me wait while you cough up your breakfast."

Ariadne swallowed the remainder of the bile that threatened to come up and followed her master down to the drawing room, where Wormtail served the newly-arrived Death Eaters tea and coffee. Draco was seated at the end of the long table with an empty seat beside him, no doubt reserved for the blonde girl. Voldemort took his place at the head of the table on the opposite end.

"Happy Christmas." He said grimly. A few of the Death Eaters offered a reply but most stayed silent. Voldemort folded his hands on the table and said, "I have sensed some…hesitancy…as of late. I should not ever have to question the allegiance of my followers."

"My lord! You know that _I _would never betray you! Never, my lord!" Bellatrix cried. Voldemort smiled at Bellatrix and her relief was palpable. Ariadne rolled her eyes.

"So I will be conducting an…exam, of sorts, to test whether or not you shall live to see the new year." Ariadne's heart was pounding in her throat—what sort of sick thing will the Dark Lord force her into?

"Ariadne, darling, come to me." Bellatrix's face twisted into an envious grimace, as she wanted to prove her undying devotion first. Ariadne stood from her seat, ignored the screeching sound the chair made on the wood, and walked with shaking legs to the Dark Lord.

"Stand up on this table, and attack Draco with the Cruciatus Curse." Voldemort himself stood to free his chair, so she might have an easier time getting up onto the mahogany surface. Ariadne looked at him with wide eyes.

"D-draco, Milord?"

"Did he stutter?" Bellatrix sneered. "Attack him!"

Ariadne looked at Draco, whose expression was a mix of shock and understanding. Her slate eyes flit to Narcissa, who looked as if she were about to vomit. Once the two women locked eyes Narcissa inclined her head slightly, urging her to obey. Travers shoved Draco onto the opposite end of the table. Ariadne raised her wand with a trembling hand and saw the pleading look in Draco's eyes.

"Do it, Ariadne, or you will die on this table, just like Charity Burbage." A look of pain flashed across Snape's face when the Dark Lord mentioned this. Ariadne steadied her arm and inhaled sharply.

"_Crucio!_" Draco dropped to the table as if he had been electrocuted. He howled and shrieked, clawing at any available surface in hopes of escaping the torture.

"Ariadne, please! Stop it! _Please!_" he moaned. Drool and spittle sprayed as he gasped for air.

"Do it again." Voldemort ordered. Ariadne looked to Lucius and he nodded as well, although it was clear he didn't like what was happening. Ariadne tried to look merciless as she slashed her wand at the blond boy.

"_Crucio!_" the result was instantaneous. Tears flooded from Draco's face as it reddened. His hilarity increased, he was no longer in control of his bodily movements. He kicked out wildly, screaming bloody murder.

"_Ariadne, stop it! PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU! JUST STOP!_" His body jerked and knocked over a hot cup of tea, scalding Draco's left forearm. Ariadne looked back over her shoulder to the Dark Lord and he nodded with a smile, giving her permission to stop. Ariadne broke the curse and Draco was still.

XXX


	16. Recovery and Discoveries

**WOOOOOOOOOO muahahahahhahaha.**

**XXX**

After Ariadne's loyalty was secured, the Dark Lord left along with the other Death Eaters. He took Lucius and Narcissa with him, leaving Draco and Ariadne alone in the Malfoy Manor. Ariadne cautiously approached the unconscious blond boy that was crumpled on the opposite end of the dining table. His legs were contorted and his breathing shallow. She crouched over him and her white-blond hair tickled his face.

"Draco? Are you awake?" she cupped his clammy cheek and sighed when there was no response. "_Levicorpus!_" Ariandne floated Draco's limp body up the staircase and into his bedroom. Unsure of where to put him, she decided on the bath tub. That way, if he vomited, it could be washed away. Getting an idea, she stripped Draco down to his boxer briefs and turned on the warm water.

"You're gonna sweat this out, Draco." In his sleep, he shook violently as if cold. Ariadne tugged at Draco's legs and rested them on the tub's edge, elevating them so less pressure was put upon them. Two fingers to Draco's throat told her his heart was working in overdrive.

The blonde girl made sure the bath was shallow, only reaching to the middle of Draco's toned abdomen.

"_Accio chair!_" she pictured the low stool downstairs and was satisfied to watch it zoom in moments later. This little chair would become her perch until the Slytherin boy woke up. As he panted for air, Ariadne looked at Draco's features, eyes hungrily drinking them in. She had never noticed him in this light before. He actually looked sort of…beautiful. Slate eyes flicked to his chest and her heart sank. Where her magic had struck him, long red gashes were left behind.

"You took that like a man. You actually let me perform this curse on you." She wiped away the sweat on his brow and ran a hand through his hair. Enjoying the sensation, she moved around the claw-footed tub and began playing with the blond's platinum locks. Instead of being slicked back, like Draco had always done in the past, he left his hair somewhat short and messy. If he cared enough he'd run a handful of gel through it, but Ariadne thought that it would just make it sexier. _Wait, sexier? Oh, Merlin. It's happened._ A panicked voice in her head said.

A wet, hacking cough interrupted her mental epiphany that she did indeed consider Draco Malfoy sexy. Ariadne moved around to talk to him.

"Where…am I? And why am I almost naked?" his hand skimmed across the cuts on his chest and it was as if he remembered.

"You're in your bathtub. You were freezing." Ariadne offered, reaching into the tub and grabbing his hand. It was wet and clammy but Ariadne didn't care.

"Voldemort made you do this. If you didn't we both would have died. Thank you." he kissed the back of her hand that was still entwined with is.

"How could you thank me, Draco? I just used the Cruciatus curse on you!" The tears came quickly now. Her voice broke and she began to blubber. "How can you stay so rational and calm! If you did to me what I just did to you, you know damned well I'd never forgive you." Draco looked at her through icy blue eyes, staring straight into her own slate hue.

"You. Had. To. Don't worry about me. It'll toughen me up, and Merlin knows I need some of that." He stood from the bath and grabbed a towel. Ariadne helped him out, as is limbs were awkwardly unresponsive. She also assisted him into a white shirt and some black sweats, and led him to bed.

"Sleep is going to be the best thing for you. Are you hungry? When you wake up I'll make your favorite." Ariadne smiled, trying to hide the guilt and pain that plagued her.

"How do you know what's my favorite?" he asked feebly.

"Because I know you, stupid. Your favorite is eggs benedict." Ariadne rose to leave but was stopped by Draco's clammy hand around her own.

"Stay with me. Please." He begged. "I need someone right now."

"Just someone?"

"No, that someone has to be you. I want to talk with you, Ariadne." Draco pulled back the covers and Ariadne obliged, taking off the sweatshirt she was wearing earlier and laying there in a t-shirt and yoga pants. Draco laid on his side, facing the other blonde, and reached out to touch her cheek.

"In the delirium that my mind is in right now, I don't think my mind has ever been clearer." he whispered. "I need you to get me through this Death Eater nightmare." Draco Malfoy admitting weakness was as impossible as the idea of keeping a Dementor as a pet. It was out of character for the usually cool and confident boy. Ariadne felt her eyes grow wide in shock.

"Draco, you can do this. We can do this. Don't let it get to you."

"Voldemort just took my parents to the Department of Mysteries. They're probably breaking in as we speak and getting those prophecies that mean so much to the Dark Lord."

"Prophecies!" Just like the ones in Ariadne's dream. Would the Dark Lord be successful in hearing them both?

"You need the person who the prophecy was predicted about to be present, don't you? Are you sure he's going there?"

"Undoubtedly. My father has lured Potter and his friends to the Department, aided by the Dark Lord's skill in Occulmency." Draco figured.

"So there's a battle about to go on right now." Ariadne mused. Draco nodded and pulled Ariadne closer to him.

"I'm sorry. For everything. For teasing you as kids, breaking your heart and making fun of Hiro. I'm sorry for kissing Parkinson and hexing you and being a bad partner in all our classes. I'm sorry for not looking out for you, or making sure you're not hurt or that you're all right. I'm sorry." Draco sighed. Ariadne gave him a sad smile and told him he was forgiven.

"That's what I've sort of been waiting for the past fifteen years or so." She half-laughed.

"Go get the present I got for you." he instructed. Ariadne kicked off the sheets and walked to Draco's desk, where the purple box with silver ribbon sat expectantly. She took it back to bed and Draco sat up to watch her open the gift. Once her fingers had lifted the lid, Ariadne smiled. Beneath a letter to her sat a necklace that had a long chain. Suspended from the length was a gorgeous, heart-shaped locket. On the golden surface of the heart small flowers and vines were carved, and once she managed to open the clasp she smiled again. Inside was a picture of Ariadne and Draco, kissing when they were around age two. Draco pulled Ariadne over from her finger painting and planted a kiss right on her lips, and the tiny blonde giggled in surprise. The right side of the locket held a watch that glittered as it ticked.

"It's so beautiful, Draco." Ariadne looped it around her neck and the cold metal sat over her heart.

"Read the letter when I'm asleep." Draco rolled over so he faced the windows and the snowy grounds outside. Ariadne obliged and slipped the letter on the bedside table.

XXX

Thirty minutes later Draco was fast asleep. While he snored Ariadne dug up a bottle of Dittany and rubbed it on his chest wounds. She tried not to swoon as she felt his muscles beneath her hand. In his sleep he seemed to smirk, as if he could hear her not so appropriate thoughts. The girl washed her hands of the goopy medicine and picked up the letter. Lest Draco wake up while she read it, she moved to her new favorite place in the Manor—the library. Curled up on the maroon loveseat, she unfolded the letter that could possibly change everything she ever knew.

_To Ariadne, _

_Happy Christmas. I suppose I should start from the beginning, then. All throughout our childhood I have bullied you, tortured you, and undoubtedly embarrassed you. And countless times you've always claimed that I've hated you. I'm not sure why I started this rivalry with you. I'm a foolish man for thinking that I could ever keep you as an enemy. I really think it was to protect my overly inflated ego. _

_I thought that if I could keep you as an enemy, or even a rival, it would be easy to love you from afar without ever having to be hurt. You can imagine how difficult a confession of this caliber is on my self-esteem, a Malfoy never humbles himself, (or so my father insists). You might also be wondering why I'm writing so eloquently…I figure if this is formal enough it might make you think I'm entirely serious. _

_My earliest memories are always surrounded by you—you were everywhere, with me always. I'd like to think that we were almost brother and sister, no thanks to our lovely parents who dropped you off here at the Manor so they all could go out and do Death Eater duties while their two-year-olds napped. It's sort of a morbid thought._

_And I see you now from a different light. You know by now that I care for you. That I've _always _cared for you. When I was young I confused admiration with competition, and strove to beat you in everything I did. But I struggled in vain, for you are and always have been more talented than me. _

Ariadne felt that this wasn't an entirely accurate statement—Draco was a skilled Occumulens, and very talented in all the subjects she failed in.

_Ariadne, I cannot ignore these feelings any longer. I need you now, more than I ever have needed anything in my entire life. I have sworn my heart to you since we were children, and hid that promise from the world to not only protect my stupid mind but to put up a front for others. That dishonesty I also apologize for. When I kissed you the other night, it seemed as if my life could finally begin. A life I'd work hard to keep and to preserve. But, like the arse I am, I messed it up._

_Your patience with me is endless and most impressive, Ariadne. This letter's, (or confession, however you wish to call it) is not a call for action, or a reciprocation of such feeling or fervor. I only wish that this letter lets you know that I've loved you all of my life. Now, as a Death Eater and an adult, I feel mature and ready enough to admit this to you. I feel as if this conversation is around three or four years late. _

_Forget about the other girls who have come and gone. If they were meant for me, you'd see them sitting beside me at the dinner table, not you. Those girls were desperate attempts at shaking myself free from your grasp on my heart. _

_I realize now that the grip you have taken on my heart will never loosen, as it still remains as tight and crippling as it has for all of these years. It's enough to bring a man to his knees. _

_I know you're not stupid, Ariadne, so you must have had some idea that I've cared for you…if the jealousy and touchiness wasn't enough then I guess I'm too subtle for my own good. If this sounds all new to you, then, well, surprise._

_Whenever I look into your intelligent eyes, your gaze so striking and pure that it seems as if it cuts right through me, I am often at a loss for words. That's when my ego takes over, and, in a pathetic struggle to save face and not gawk like a fool, the slews of insults and not-so-witty banter bubbles to the surface. So forgive me in those moments of weakness—for I'm not alone. I watch how that Taminama boy does the exact same thing—he's just better at turning his stupors into compliments and flirtatiousness. I am not so skilled. _

_As I bring this mushy confession to an end, I'd like to leave you with this locket, now the most obvious metaphor for my feelings. The heart of course is carved with gardenias, your favorite, and the picture inside is the priceless moment when I believe my heart decided what it wanted. The clock on the right serves two purposes—one: to tell the time (well, what did you expect?), the second: to give you a promise that I'll always love you until that clock stops ticking—till the end of time. Stop there, for your brain already is calculating when the battery will die…but it won't. I've enchanted it. So the joke's on you. _

_-Draco _

If the locket hung heavy on her neck before, it seemed to weigh five hundred pounds now. The tiny tick of the clock's hands moved steadily like a small heartbeat. It almost felt as if it were alive on her skin. Unlike the calm, routine tick of the clock, Ariadne's heart sprinted into overdrive. She wasn't sure what just happened. She double checked the signature at the bottom to make sure that it was _Draco Malfoy _who just spilled his heart and soul onto the parchment.

She felt giddy—her stomach bubbled with an excited little peal of happiness that spread throughout her body. And then she mentally slapped herself.

"Stop acting like a foolish little girl, Ariadne!" she scolded herself aloud.

XXX

Draco slept for the remainder of the day, and Ariadne ate Christmas dinner entirely alone.

"So I suppose this is what my family dinner would be like now." She said through stinging tears. For just one Christmas, it was quite an emotional rollercoaster for the young Nocturne. She knew she should celebrate her family's life instead of wallowing in their demise, but she felt sorry for herself and had no qualms about complaining. She was so lonely she asked the House-elves to eat with her. They were afraid at first, fearing a trap that would lead to a beating, but Ariadne waited patiently.

"You are so kind to elves, milady!" Fenn the House-elf smiled. Ariadne didn't even let them eat the congealed gruel they were usually served. The House-elves ate the Christmas turkey along with the blonde pureblood. Halfway into the meal, Draco stumbled into the ballroom.

"Merlin, did I miss dinner already?" he looked half-asleep and disheveled, with a dress shirt he must have recently buttoned half-tucked into a pair of stained slacks. He saw Ariadne, crying over a plate of turkey and stuffing, and rushed over to her.

"Ariadne, what's wrong? You lot, give us some privacy!" he snapped at the elves. The House-elves obeyed immediately, taking their plates of fine food and scurrying back to the kitchen. Once the door slammed and Draco was satisfied they were alone, he sat and grabbed her cold hand.

"Ariadne, it's freezing in here. Christ, are you all right? _Incendio!_" Draco started a fire in their enormous hearth.

"I'm fine. Everything's just hitting me at once, is all." She sniffed and sucked all the snot in her nose back up. She suddenly realized how gross that probably was and mentally kicked herself. Draco tactfully pretended not to notice.

"Did you…erm…read my…uh…letter?" Draco felt his breath hitch and prayed that his blonde companion couldn't hear his heart pound against his ribcage. It drummed in his ears so loudly he almost didn't catch her reply that she did read it.

"It meant so much to me, Draco." She placed her hand over his and Draco let out a smile of relief.

"Good, I'm glad. I've been writing that damned letter for about a week." He smirked and stabbed a piece of turkey with his fork. Ariadne giggled, trying to imagine Draco sweating over the letter.

"You meant everything?" she asked, eyes slightly narrowed. She would not be made a fool again. Draco swallowed his bite and nodded firmly.

"Do you think I'd waste my time on an elaborate lie like that? Too time consuming. If I didn't mean anything in there I'd just insult you. A week's worth of slaving over parchment compared to a three second curse? C'mon, Nocturne."

Ariadne blushed slightly, taken aback. So he did have a heart, did he?

"What does this change, then? What happens now?" In the windows behind them, snow piled on the panes and the deck. A blizzard was rolling in.

"Unless you want something to happen, then nothing will happen. I just felt you had to know."

"Is that how you really feel? What you really want?" Ariadne asked.

"Of course not, Nocturne. If it was up to me, you'd be my girlfriend right here and right now. But I can't ask that of you."

"And why not?" she replied hotly.

"Because that would be too sudden. If I remember correctly, 'one kind thing isn't enough to make up for a lifetime of bad things' or whatever you said the night I kissed you." Ariadne tried her best not to roll her eyes. He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"If I have to wait a thousand years, then so be it." He said through smiling lips.

"Drama queen." Ariadne spat. Draco couldn't control his laughter any longer.

XXX

**Okay, so since I didn't reply to reviews, I'm replying to reviews from LAST CHAPTER, AND THE CHAPTER BEFORE. Because I love you all and I feel you need to feel loved too :D **

_**Reviews from Chapter 14**_**: **

**Savage Trickster: **I know, I'd be embarrassed for Ariadne as well. Grabbing his balls in front of the party, oh my. Well alcohol does that to the best of us, I suppose ;)

**Ein Storm: **Thanks for always reading and reviewing almost all of my stories, your support is appreciated! I'll update soon!

**Curious Bookworm: **Thank you! I'll try to get chapters out as best I can!

**XXmizz Alec volturiXX: **yes indeed, hiro is back *happy dance* woooOOOO! Hahah thanks for the review. And yes despite their odd relationship Ari and Draco kiss quite frequently, don't they?

**Naii: **although you don't have a username thanks for reviewing, and yes, mmmmm Draco. Draco was too shocked to do anything about Ariadne grabbing his balls. It's quite a shocking experience from what I hear. Thanks for reading!

**RisemboolRanger: **I know, I switch back from Hiro to Draco like every time I write. He's such a charmer/gentleman. Thanks for reviewing! And I LOVE the name Ariadne, it's so pretty.

**Niikkii95: **Yes, I know that isn't Theodore Nott D: but in my mind it is! Yeah that one guy in the background, tall and blonde, was Theodore in the movies. But whatever, anywho, thanks for reviewing! In my story, Theodore can be some pretty good competition.

**StayBeautiful1: **I'm really really glad I got Caroline right, I'll be using her in more and more as the story comes along…I'm so glad for your reviews, too, they always make my day. AND lol to Draco and his diary.

_**Reviews for Chapter 15: **_

**StifledCreativity:** ;_; best smiley ever! Yes, poor Draco. But unless Ariadne obeyed they both would have died….i hope that they can mend things.

**Xxmizzalecvolturixx:** I know, Winifred is a blast and I'll for sure be including her in later chapters for some funny situations. And I know, damn voldemort. He's such a butthole. Thanks for the constant reviews!

**SavageTrickster: **I'll try and update ASAP, thanks for always reviewing and enjoying Stuck. And yes, I wish Ariadne could use the Cruciatus curse on Voldy himself :(

**Babysena: **I'm abbreviating your pen name because otherwise it doesn't show up for some reason! Thanks for the review :D don't worry, Draco isn't quite dead yet!

**Niikii95: **thanks for another review! You're awesome.

_**Thank you to those people who added Stuck to an Alert list, favorite story, or favorite author: **_

**ChoppedandScrewed, AlexandraWashington, Muffinminded, Lumihuitale89, CuriousBookworm, StayBeautiful1, ScarletEmeraldRomance, Rose Pound, SavageTrickster.**

**YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWESOME, YOUR SUPPORT AND REVIEWS KEEP ME WRITING 3 **


	17. At the Stroke of Midnight

**Hello everyone. This is the only story I seem to have inspiration for anymore haha. **

**So enjoy, I suppose. **

**XXX**

The Dark Lord returned three days later, on the 29th of December, with anger so fiery it could set London ablaze. The Death Eaters that gathered for the morning meeting sat rigid in their seats, afraid the slightest movement would push their master over the edge. Draco and Ariadne were the only followers who had no idea what transpired in the Department of Ministries. To begin his explanation, Voldemort pointed his wand at the Malfoy's Christmas tree and sent it to oblivion. The burning smell of pine was twisted into an odor that was nothing short of repugnant.

"HOW COULD YOU LET SIX LITTLE BRATS STOP YOU ALL FROM COMPLETING MY TASK?" he roared, shattering windows and knocking over wine glasses. It was then that Ariadne noticed, as broken shards rained on Narcissa, that Lucius was not present.

"My Aunt isn't here either." Draco hissed, as if reading her mind. "Nor Dolohov, Rookwood, Mulciber, or Travers."

Voldemort, in his midst of destroying the drawing room, did not notice their hushed conversation. Ariadne's eyes flicked to Narcissa and saw that she was crying profusely, practically suffocating on the sobs that threatened to escape her. Blubbering would be the worst thing to do at that moment. Voldemort inhaled sharply through the slits that could be called nostrils and seethed:

"I have tried using Occumulency to lure Potter to the Department of Mysteries. You idiots lose duels to _mere children…_the circumstances that panned out two nights ago are unspeakable and unacceptable. Narcissa, the weak effort of your husband's fight for the prophecies has landed him in Azkaban once more. Furthermore, he will rot in there with your lowlife of a sister, Bellatrix." Nagini slithered from the Dark Lord's robes and coiled herself on the table. The enormous reptile pointed her forked tongue at the blonde witch.

"Sirius Black is dead, which is about the only good thing that came out of this disaster." Voldemort slashed his wand at Goyle, and the fat man dropped out of his seat and to the floor—stone dead. The satisfying thud of his body hitting the floor seemed to soothe Voldemort. He straightened his robes and tucked his wand away for safekeeping. The harsh lines of his reptilian face lessened in intensity. He looked pensive for a moment or two.

"I am leaving for quite a time." The Dark Lord announced suddenly. "I will be back in February. Everyone is to be out of the Malfoy Manor…there are rumors that the Ministry is inclined to search here. That, and to leave Narcissa alone to wallow in her solitude." Their master melted into black smoke and escaped out of a broken window. The ghost of his mocking laugh hung over the room like a cloying mist.

"You heard him! Get out!" Narcissa said through burning tears. "I'm tired of having you disgusting people trod all over my expensive marble and carpet, soiling my guest bedrooms and leaving hair in the bathrooms, eating all of my food and never once thanking me! Now get out of my house before I murder you all!" the delicate coif that Narcissa's hair once was came undone. Sparks flew from her wand as she slashed it at the retreating squatters.

"And STAY OUT!" with a final slam of the front door, she wheeled on the two teenagers.

"Draco, do not ever let me lose my temper like that again!" she shook her finger at him and he stuck his hands up in surrender. Narcissa didn't even address Ariadne.

"Go upstairs. Leave me alone, please." Draco grabbed Ariadne by her slender wrist and pulled her towards the grand staircase. As they ascended the steps, footsteps echoing like cannon blasts in the new silence of the home, Ariadne watched Narcissa sink to her knees and sob.

XXX

"You do realize the Dark Lord is asking us to kill Dumbledore." Ariadne sighed quietly. Draco had shut the door to his bedroom and Ariadne sat on the bed, covers sinking under her weight. The blond boy ran a tired hand through platinum hair and met the girl's gaze.

"If you can even call it asking," Draco replied dryly. "If we don't do it he'll kill us."

"He wants Dumbledore dead by the end of term." A hard lump formed in the blonde girl's throat. Dumbledore knew of her family's dark history but never judged her for it. Never assumed she'd follow the same path…

Yet here she was, sitting in the Malfoy Manor, contemplating the impossible task of murdering the legendary Headmaster. Draco walked toward the window and pulled the drapes aside.

"What'll we do, then? Sit here until Dumbledore croaks?"

"That's not what I'm suggesting at all. Your lack of patience is exhausting." Ariadne clambered out of the bed and walked to the windows, staring out over the snow-covered grounds.

"I don't want to do it. Killing someone so pure and beneficial to the well-being of wizard kind isn't allowable by my standards." Draco mumbled.

"It's hardly allowable by anyone's standards, Draco." Ariadne murmured in reply. Albeit the house was empty save Narcissa, the two continued to discuss Dumbledore's impending doom in hushed voices. A house-elf popped into the room with a tray of tea and biscuits. Draco took a biscuit and bit into the flaky treat, not bothering to wipe the crumbs from his chin.

"You should go talk to my Mum, Ari." Draco said, his mouth full. "You know she wanted you as a daughter anyway." Too tired to object, Ariadne tugged a sweater on over her tank top and stepped out into the hall. The polished wooden floors felt frigid beneath her feet. The air of the manor was stagnant and dead. Chilling. The tapestries of silver and green looked dull and faded to her now, as if their meaning had lost value in Ariadne's slate eyes. These things did not represent her. The two glass coffins in the oceans did. The occupants of those crystal tombs—her parents—did. She was a Nocturne. The last Nocturne.

Slender fingers grazed the painted walls of the hallway as she noiselessly padded downstairs. Narcissa's crying echoed in the empty home, making it quite clear where she was. Ariadne found her in the living room, wedding ring in hand. She was playing with it—examining the diamond and glancing at a picture of herself and Lucius on what seemed to be their wedding day. It was one of the singular moments that Ariadne saw Lucius smiling. Ariadne cleared her throat softly and Narcissa stopped crying audibly. She turned to face the young girl.

"Hello, d-dearest." She sniffed, patting a space beside her on the suede couch. Ariadne sank next to her surrogate parent and put her hand on top of Narcissa's. Ariadne noted how warm her hand was compared to hers. How everyone's hand was warmer—especially Draco's. Maybe she was the cold one after all.

"Your hands are freezing, dear. But they always are, aren't they?" Narcissa dabbed at her eyes with a black-smudged handkerchief. The makeup that was always applied with deliberation now was smeared across her pale cheek.

"Please don't cry, Mum. It'll be okay." Ariadne wasn't sure why she called Narcissa "Mum" but she figured if it served any purpose, it would be to make Naricssa happier. The blonde woman smiled softly and a fresh wave of tears spilled from her icy eyes. Ariadne lifted the framed picture off of the coffee table and touched the glass, right over the image of Lucius' smiling face.

"It was the happiest day of my life, you know. Marrying Lucius." Narcissa copied Ariadne and touched the likeness of Lucius and that rare smile. "We had an arranged marriage—but that was never a problem for Lucius and I. I fell in love with him the moment our eyes met…" she stared off, lost in a faraway memory. "He's not a bad person. He's just easily persuaded, easily manipulated. It's the downfall of our family. We're too eager to please…too eager to serve. It gets us into a world of trouble."

"Being eager to please just means you care for others…it means having a large heart." Ariadne said.

"Large hearts get you nowhere in matters such as these." she gestured to the brand that was forever burned into her left forearm. In Ariadne's forearm, Draco's, Lucius' and many others who have sold their soul to the paragon of evil…

"I know." the weight of those two words hung between the women like dead weight. It was a statement riddled with defeat. They were trapped and they both knew it.

"If we don't abide by the Dark Lord's bidding, he will undoubtedly kill us all. We have no choice, Ariadne. We have never had a choice." she put her arm around Ariadne's shoulder and cried quietly.

"Narcissa. I want you to know that you've done amazing things in your life…and there is always a choice. You chose to have Draco, didn't you? You chose how to raise him. You chose to protect him, and me, and for that I must declare that you're a good person. I've always thought of you as a mother-type figure…you've been more of a mother than my real one ever was."

"Thank you, darling. I've always wanted a daughter, but that never happened. I've done my best raising Draco...he can be rough around the edges at times. He loves you, you know that? He denies it as if it were sin, but it's obvious that he does." Ariadne blushed and was embarrassed that Narcissa was discussing Draco's love so casually. Such expressions were completely uncharacteristic of the platinum blond.

"It's a shame we all have to suffer this way." Ariadne sighed. The near future was grim, seeing as it only contained the deaths of many good witches and wizards, and possibly even her own death. Narcissa stood, wiped her eyes, and said only one thing:

"The deeper that sorrow cuts into your being, the more joy you can contain. Remember that for the future, my dear." Narcissa left the living room at with that solemn note.

XXX

The order from Lord Voldemort that banned the Death Eaters from the manor all but cancelled the New Year's Party the Malfoys had scheduled. Narcissa was in shambles, Draco numb, and the house a bit emptier with the absence of Lucius. Ariadne felt like an intruder in the house. There was an air of stagnancy that befell every nook and cranny. Even the fires in the fireplaces, usually crackling with warmth and light, flickered lamely in their hearths.

On the morning of New Year's Eve, a pure white owl knocked at the window in the kitchen. Narcissa threw open the glass hastily, knocking the mound of snow collected on the sill into the flowerpot on the marble counter. The bird fluttered in surprise—and flew in as Narcissa slammed the window shut. Ariadne nearly choked on the poached eggs before her—the owl belonged to Harry Potter. This was unknown to Narcissa, however, and she unwrapped the parchment attached to Hedwig's leg.

"Oh, it's for you, Ariadne!" Narcissa sounded sad—as if she was expected a letter from Lucius or something of the sort. Ariadne took the small scroll from Narcissa's white hand and stuck it in her robes. She didn't want Narcissa to know Harry Potter was trying to contact her. Ariadne thought herself fortunate that Draco was still asleep.

"You know, I'm just not sure if I want to go to the Greengrass' party tonight. I don't much want to show my face after my rant the other morning."

"It would be fun, wouldn't it?" Ariadne replied automatically, not really listening. The scroll was burning a hole in her pocket.

"It would! You know, I don't give a rat's backside what those dullards think of me. Merlin knows the Malfoys are better than all of them collectively, anyway."

And there it was—the old Malfoy spark that simultaneously annoyed and impressed just about anyone. Ariadne politely excused herself and walked in a controlled manner out of the kitchen. The moment the door shut behind her she sprinted for the library and undid the ribbon tied on the crunchy parchment. It was an invitation from Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley family. They wanted her over for New Years.

"That's a straight laugh. Having a Death Eater over for New Year's Eve." she mumbled to no one. Ariadne put the parchment back into her pocket and curled up on the red velvet couch for a nap. She was roused a short while later by Draco.

"Wake up, Nocturne! I've got some…awkward news." Draco looked uncomfortable. Fearing the worst, Ariadne told him to spit it out.

"The Greengrass family invited all the Death Eaters…except you." he winced at the "except" part, and braced himself for the loud protest which he thought was surely coming.

"How unfortunate. That's quite all right, I've received an invitation for Wyvern's New Year's Party." Draco was afraid at the robotic tone Ariadne's voice had adopted.

"So you're all right with us going to the party, then?" His icy eyes were shielded by what looked like doubt. He wasn't sure if he was walking into a trap or not.

"Of course. I've got plans anyway. And a night where I don't have to look at the Greengrass family is a great night for me." Ariadne reached up and ran her hand through Draco's disheveled hair—making his flyaway locks a tad messier than before.

"Just don't kiss anybody when the clock strikes twelve, will you?" Draco whispered. Ariadne winked a slate eye and crossed her heart.

Whether or not Draco saw the crossed fingers behind the girl's back was another story.

XXX

A House elf escorted Ariadne to the wrought-iron gates of the Manor. The enchantments around the estate made the air around it glow a misty shade of lavender. Narcissa temporarily lifted the protective spells so that she could apparate to "Wyvern's" party. She bid the House-elf goodbye and disappeared into the falling snow.

She reappeared in a wheaten field, starting into miles of darkness.

"How stupid of me." she hissed to the snow-covered stalks. "Of course it's enchanted! _Lumos." _Her wand illuminated the small area surrounding her.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she tried quietly, afraid to disturb the silence. Moments later a tall man walked out of the bush. She kept her wand low, a defensive gesture, and waited for him to approach.

"Are you Ariadne Nocturne?" The man's voice was as deep as a well, booming from his chest with authority. When he stepped into her wand light she realized it was Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"I am, sir."

"What was the gift you sent Harry Potter, that he received on the night of December 23rd by owl?" Kingsley asked, raising his wand to her eye level.

"I sent Harry a pair of Seeker's gloves in a letter. They were dragon hide, and I put his initials on the left hand." These must have been the correct words, because Kingsley lowered his wand and offered his arm to her.

"Then let us go, Miss Nocturne. Happy New Year, by the way." The two walked for a short while, making an elaborate path of winding turns with no decipherable pattern. The burrow was well-hidden.

"Why did you invite me here?" Ariadne whispered. "I know you all know what I am." Kingsley approached the door to the burrow and rested a long-fingered hand on the doorknob. He turned to her with soft brown eyes.

"The same reason that we always invite Snape, Miss Nocturne." Once the door was open, Ariadne was immediately swept into an embrace by a stout, red-headed woman she took to be Molly Weasley.

"Ariadne! It's so good to finally meet you! You must pardon my overexcitement, but new Order members are always good news for me!"

_New Order member? Oh, so this was Snape's other Christmas present. Well, a double life shouldn't be too hard. _Ariadne's slate eyes took in the Burrow with a mix of awe and confusion. The house was difficult to visually follow. Her gaze finally fell on a tattered couch where Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat.

"Ariadne! You actually came!" Harry smiled and walked over to hug the blonde Slytherin. Over his shoulder, Ginny stared coldly at the hugging pair. An enormous orange cat was circling the ginger's ankles.

"So, Harry! Ron, Hermione—happy new year. Everyone, happy new year." Ariadne broke the hug that Harry lingered in and began making her rounds and introductions. After mingling for a while, Molly called everyone into the dining room for dinner. Once everyone was seated and served, Arthur Weasley stood to say grace.

"Fred! Get your wand out of the potatoes!" Molly hissed, slapping her son's wrist with a quick hand. Fred sheepishly grinned at his mother and mouthed, "I'm George." She groaned in frustration and waved her hand at him—dismissing his antics. Arthur finished the speech and everyone dug in heartily. Molly served an entire roast goose with all of the appropriate trimmings. Ariadne was seated between Hermione and Snape, picking gingerly at her enormous helpings of yams. She felt unwelcome in the warm house. She felt grey and out of place. Looking around the table, she noticed that the people around her were happy. Love and joy and laughter and togetherness burst from their smiling faces, and all Ariadne could feel was jealousy. The brand on her arm prickled angrily. Snape noticed her distress and gave her a withering look.

"Must you damper everyone's good mood, Miss Nocturne?" he drawled quietly. Ariadne snapped from her reverie to look at her Professor. He raised a thick, greasy brow and gestured to the other room with a twitch of his jaw. The couple excused themselves and walked into a dimly lit drawing room.

"Ariadne you mustn't sulk. You know Narcissa wouldn't approve of you wasting your good looks on such sullen expressions. Now _sit_." With a swish of his wand the door swung shut—the remainder of the party oblivious (or just pretending to be) to Snape and Ariadne's seclusion.

"What are we doing in here, Professor?" the dark room prevented Ariadne from seeing anything on the table she and Snape were seated around. Only when he conjured a black disk with his wand did Ariadne realize what they were doing—Snape had produced a pensieve.

"You must know the truth about my past…if we are going to be true allies. I also have memories pertaining to the prophecy made about you and a certain Malfoy…" Snape withdrew the recollections from his left temple slowly with his wand. The silvery wisps of past moments were dumped into the pensieve, which began glowing a shimmery silver.

"Proceed, Miss Nocturne." she tentatively lowered her face to the swirling pool and felt the pensieve drag her into its foggy depths. When she stopped falling, she realized she was by a lake. Two small children, one with red hair, the other with a familiar oily mop, were talking quietly. An adult Snape materialized beside her and told Ariadne the redhead was Lily Potter.

The scene flashed and a slightly older Lily was being reprimanded for using magic in a muggle household. Her sister, Petunia, was shrieking about Lily being a freak. The girl cried freely and ran outside to run into Severus. Ariadne could see they had become friends now. Severus comforted the young witch and soon she was laughing. The delight and love in Snape's eyes were obvious even then.

"She was the only true love I've ever had in my entire life." Snape said to the memory. Another scene changed and the story was no longer about Severus and Lily. Now it centered on a woman Ariadne assumed was Professor Trelawney, minus forty years or so.

"_The white-haired children will vanquish the one who wields the Elder wand…if they do not, a shadow will fall across the Wizarding World that will blot out all light as we know it." _Her voice was primal—almost guttural—as it gurgled out the prophecy that would change Draco and Ariadne's lives. Trelawney melted away and Ariadne found herself in the drawing room of the Burrow once more.

"You now know why I choose to ally with the light." Snape said.

"If Draco and I don't kill Dumbledore, Voldemort wins?" Ariadne whispered. Snape's black eyes were deep and shielded. There was something hidden there.

"It appears so. But, prophecies are merely predictions. They always are subject to change…" he broke off, pausing to dismiss the pensieve.

"How can I manage a secret like this, Professor? I'm not one for lying, and I—"

"Don't make me laugh, Miss Nocturne. You lie like a rug." A deep blush crept upon her cheeks as she bit her tongue.

"That doesn't mean I'm afraid of lying." she sighed quietly. "If I'm caught—if you're caught—it'll be both of our deaths." Snape shrugged.

"And so is life. But the only thing that consoles me is the fact that I'm contributing to the plight of good wizards and witches everywhere."

"That sounds like a nauseating line from the inside of a greeting card, sir."

"And that's your cue to exit before I curse you." Ariadne watched the corner of Snape's lips twitch into something reminiscent of a smile.

"Remember this, Ariadne. You do not tell anyone. No one. Not Draco, not Taminama. Not anybody." Snape warned. "Or you will die a gruesome death for nothing."

XXX

With that somber note established, Ariadne exited the dark drawing room and returned to the party. Dinner had ended, and the food was cleared into tupperware and other storage containers for about a month's worth of leftovers. The guests had moved into the living room for dessert and drinking. Remus and a pregnant Tonks were seated closest to the fire, a glass of brandy in his hand and sparkling cider in hers. Molly and Arthur were telling the story of how they met, despite the eye rolls of their children. Bill and Fleur burst through the back door with more gifts and a tray of French éclairs. The scene was far too much for Ariadne to comprehend.

Her life, filled with darkness, death, and evil, was harshly contrasted by the life and love of this family. Of the Order of the Phoenix. Bitter tears of envy filled her eyes. She couldn't take it. She felt undeserving of such acceptance. She was destined for horrible things—not the automatic embrace of these people.

"Ariadne, what's wrong, dearie?" Molly broke off from her story about wrestling gnomes to address the crying Slytherin. Once the attention of the room was drawn to her, Ariadne shrunk back in her seat.

"Everything is new to me, is all. Pardon." Ariadne walked up the stairs and realized she had no idea where she was going. Luck smiled on her, however, for the first door she tried she found a bathroom. Her solitude was short-lived as a soft knock came to the door.

"Come out, Ari. We know this is frightening. But you're not alone." The voice of Mad-Eye Moody came through the oaken surface, and Ariadne sniffed loudly. The sleeve she wiped her eyes with was too scratchy.

"To the count of three, Nocturne!" he rasped. "I know you're stronger than this rubbish." Ariadne stood up, composed herself, and flung open the door before Moody could begin counting.

"Good show. Come down and enjoy some damned music for Merlin's sake." His wooden leg clunked loudly as he walked down the stairs to rejoin the party.

XXX

The people who attended the Greengrass party weren't as accommodating. Narcissa and Draco arrived around nine, and had brought an expensive bottle of wine and a plate of cheese. Patricia Greengrass, mother to Daphne and Astoria, greeted the Malfoys coldly.

"Oh, Narcissa. You received our invitation after all. Charmed." Both the women in the Malfoy and Greengrass families had their husbands in Azkaban. The tension between them was palpable. Draco shifted uncomfortably away from the two older women and went to sit with Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle. The three boys were sitting down to appetizers and had saved Draco a seat.

He hadn't taken the first bite of bad caviar when he was pounced on by a certain pug-like girl. Her foul-smelling hair pooled over Draco's eyes and the scent was enough to make him choke.

"P-Parkinson!" he gasped. "Get off of me at once!" Pansy slid into the seat next to the blond and rested her hand on his knee.

"Oh, Drakie! Where's your little Death Eater whore? Crying over mummy and dada?" Pansy asked, a smirk splaying across her puffy lips. Draco kept his composure and resisted the urge to strangle Pansy until her face was blue.

"Shut it, Parkinson, we all know that once my interests turned elsewhere you went into a spiraling depression. It's too bad you'll never have me, Parkinson. So keep shoving those sweets down your throat if it makes you feel better, because the only thing I know—and that everyone else knows—is that you're a pathetic little tramp who is obsessed with me." Parkinson's mouth opened with a pop as she stared at Draco dumbly. The magnitude of his insult hadn't quite sunk in just yet.

"Did you hear him, Pansy? _Leave._" A female voice snarled. Draco turned to find the owner of the voice and discovered it was Astoria who had spoken. Her dark hair was styled in a sleek coif, and she wore a glittery black dress. The fifth year looked attractive to Draco, and he found himself pulling the chair Pansy (until recently) was occupying out for Astoria. She sat down and joined the conversation.

Draco and Astoria found common ground on the fact that both of their fathers were recently captured in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

"My dad wrote Daphne and me a letter," Astoria began, taking a moment to straighten Draco's tie. The touch was unexpected and it caught the boy off-guard. She smirked and continued. "From his prison cell he wrote how that Mudblood Hermione Granger had stunned him, and nearly jinxed his hand off. Luckily it wasn't his wand hand."

"That filthy Granger cursed your father?" Draco growled. Astoria nodded firmly and her face twisted into a grimace.

"He also went on to say that Harry had practically beaten your father in a duel. It was embarrassing for the both of them, to say the least."

"Potter! How dare he lay a hand on my father! Well, I'll show them…" the rage crept into Draco and turned him dark. "I'll kill them all, just you see, Astoria. I've been given a job and I plan on carrying it out." Draco gestured to the dark mark beneath his sleeve and Astoria's brown eyes widened in admiration.

"So you've been, you've, you're…" she couldn't find the words because she could hardly believe them.

"I'm in." was all Draco whispered. Across the table, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle glared at Draco. They harbored a jealously that was fiery, mostly in part to the fact that Draco had been chosen to be a Death Eater over them. Blaise rolled his eyes when Astoria touched his forearm.

"_Don't do that_!" Draco yelled, withdrawing his arm as if she had burned him. Astoria threw up her hands in a gesture of innocence.

"I'm sorry, I hadn't realized—"

"Yeah, well, if anyone touches it they'll call _him."_ Draco warned, keeping his arm at a safe distance.

"I'll keep that in mind for the next time I touch you, Draco." Astoria rose to greet her fifth year friends and left Draco with a sly wink. Her fingers grazed his back as she walked away.

"Bloody hell, Draco. You've got the whole Slytherin house falling at your feet now that you've got that pretty tattoo." Blaise said snidely. His features were sharp and exaggerated—and when they were bunched in anger they looked even more so.

"And so what? It's a privilege awarded to the most deserving dark wizards and witches." Draco's nose turned slightly upward in a gesture of superiority.

"Yeah? Well look where your father is, Malfoy. Locked up in a filthy cell with no one to handle his dirty work anymore." Goyle snapped.

"And where is your father, Goyle? Oh, that's right, the Dark Lord killed him. In front of an entire congregation of Death Eaters. Talk about humiliating." He popped a bacon-wrapped mushroom in his mouth as he casually castigated his old crony.

"Well guess what, Draco. No one cares that you've been initiated as a Death Eater. No one gives a rat's ass whether or not you have important assignments or any damned privileges of the sort. You know why? Because you're a pompous prat and you've always been!" Goyle roared. The party went quiet for a moment to witness the exchange.

"You've been my underling for years, Goyle! Because of your relationship with the Malfoy family, I've kept your daft ass from getting killed by the Dark Lord! So you're welcome, you ruddy pig!" Draco retorted, standing up to glare down at Goyle. Crabbe, in Goyle's defense, told Draco to go shove it somewhere.

"You shut your fat mouth, Crabbe, or I'll have you executed along with your fat parents." The last part was hissed in a whisper for Crabbe's ears only. The boy's face flashed an angry red.

"Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, Draco. You an' your dad and your beat mum are finished." Crabbe pointed his wand at Draco, ready to fight.

"Is that what you want?" Draco laughed. "A duel? Let's do it, then! Right here, right now!" Draco grabbed Crabbe by his collar, which, mind you, was far too tight, and dragged him out to the deserted dance floor. By now, the guests had sat down to dinner and were confused as to why Draco and Crabbe were acting this way. It slowly dawned upon them that they were about to duel. Narcissa, sensing the onset of public mortification, rose from her seat.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, so help me I won't speak to you for a week if you duel that boy! We Malfoys do not lower ourselves to such incivility!" her eyes were narrowed into slits and her face was terrifying. It was a superpower all mums acquired through time, one would suppose. But Draco was undaunted.

"If _anyone_ insults the Malfoy name, I have to defend it! No matter if it's a daft fool like Crabbe or a sickening Mudblood, Mum!" Narcissa, a proud woman, allowed her son to protect the family's reputation (and possibly salvage it). She was tired of being the laughing stock of the pureblooded families. She tired of hearing everyone make fun of her for her husband's flaws.

With that settled, Draco wheeled on Crabbe.

"_Stupefy!_" Crabbe, caught unaware, was blasted across the wooden floor. He landed on his tailbone and the sound was deafening. He scrambled to his feet and summoned a wave of water.

"Take this, prat!" Crabbe shouted. Draco was buried beneath a torrent of frigid water. The pressure of it was so immense he felt his ribs bending the wrong way.

"_Protego_!" Draco managed to create a shield until the water was gone. Inhaling was now a chore—that wall probably cracked a few of his ribs. Draco switched from verbal to nonverbal spells, commanding a quiver of cobras to attack his assailant. Crabbe set most of them aflame but suffered a nasty bite in his fleshy ankle.

"Had enough, fatty? That venom will reach your heart in a few minutes I reckon. Better give up and fix yourself before you die." Draco crossed his arms smugly.

"That's it." Crabbe pointed his wand at the wound and carefully drew out the poison. While this was happening, the entire party wondered how Crabbe had gone from fat halfwit to a practiced dueler. As if hearing the thoughts of the crowd, Crabbe's father beamed.

"He's ben getting' lessons from Amycus an' Alecto Carrow. They're doin' wonders withim." Crabbe successfully siphoned the venom from his system and slashed his wand at Draco.

"_Crucio!" _While Ariadne's Cruciatus curse was a blinding pain—her curse was not laced with malice. As Voldemort always says, "you have to _mean _it." Crabbe definitely _meant_ it. Draco was instantly brought to his knees and vomit spewed everywhere. The intensity of the blow was so incapacitating that blood vessels burst throughout his body and eyes. He lay still for a few moments once Crabbe raised his wand.

"D-draco?" Astoria gasped. She rushed to help him but was stopped by Patricia Greengrass.

"Now Astoria…" she scolded, voice insincere. "We mustn't interfere with a duel." Astoria rolled her amber eyes and scowled out the window. She hated being told what to do.

Draco, miraculously, rolled over onto his stomach and pointed his wand toward the pool of vomit.

"_Scorgify!"_ the vomit was gone and Draco was back in the game. He wobbled on his feet but they stayed rooted to their places.

"I'll kill you, Crabbe." Draco hissed under his breath. "Merlin knows I will. _REDUCTO!" _a jet of red light streamed from Draco's wand and hit Crabbe square in the chest. The breath was knocked from the overweight boy violently and he slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"There! Now can everyone stop harassing my family and go back to your own fake materialistic lives? Merlin's effing beard, I'm so sick of you people! Mop up this disgusting mess and leave my poor mother alone!" he screamed at the finely-dressed aristocrats in attendance. Their mouths dropped open—and others their mouths closed shut. They knew how serious Draco was in that moment. He returned to an empty seat beside his mother, who was beaming with pride. It took the party around ten or twenty minutes to relapse back into a jovial mood, and after Crabbe had been dragged to a guest bedroom, dinner was served and the night continued.

XXX

"Ariadne, we've a surprise for you!" Molly announced excitedly. Puzzled, Ariadne looked up from her game of Wizards' Chess with Ginny.

"A little potion's birdie told us that you miss a certain someone from Durmstrang…" After Snape choked on his coffee, Molly ran over to the back door and flung it open. There, standing in the snow, in all his half-blindness, was Hiro Taminama. He held a platter of cookies his mother must have baked.

"Happy New Years, everyone!" he smiled his crooked grin and handed Molly the plate. "Thank you for having me."

"Three Slytherins in my household! Who would've guessed!" Molly laughed. Snape rolled his eyes and begrudgingly accepted one of the frosted treats from the silver tray. Hiro, oblivious to anyone else, ran straight for Ariadne. He swept her up into a rib-crushing hug.

"I've missed you." he murmured into her hair. Ariadne finally felt comfortable and at home. That sweet scent mixed with sharp mint always calmed her down. Hiro finally released the blond and took a seat beside Mad-Eye.

"Well, it's only ten! We need to get this party started!" George exclaimed, jogging from his seat to fetch the enchanted phonograph from the kitchen. Arthur had fused the old thing with a muggle radio, and if you were specific about what you wanted it would play just about anything. Everyone stood and Hermione swished her wand—moving the furniture to the corners of the room. She had created a makeshift dance floor, where the adults (and teens) paired off for a series of waltzes. Being the Weasley family, however, taking such dances seriously was an impossible task. Watching Snape dip Tonks to the floor sent the twins into a raging fit of laughter, and in their breathlessness they knocked over a ceramic bowl.

"Hey!" Ginny exclaimed. "I made that in daycare, you clots!"

"Oh Ginny, don't be so uptight. All can be fixed." Lupin repaired the bowl and it zoomed back onto its place on the mantelpiece. Dancing, laughing, and drinking commenced in the Burrow, and within half an hour the majority of the party (except Tonks) was drunk. Even Snape swayed back and forth in his seat.

Mad-Eye, noticing this, clapped the Potions Master on the back as hard as he could.

"Snape, m'boy! Feelin' woozy?" Mad-Eye laughed heartily and sloshed back another tankard of ale.

The phonograph, tired of playing fast music, slowed down into mellower melodies. The group sat down and exchanged stories once more. Mad-Eye talked about the first time he fell in love. The women, all captivated, listened attentively. The men merely sat in their inebriated states.

"How romantic! I especially love the part where you took her on the cliffs to propose. Whatever happened to her?" Hermione asked, unfulfilled by the story's loose ends. Mad-Eye gave the bright witch a long stare before answering.

"Well, she agreed, after many attempts for me to persuade her. Then, after a few years of happy marriage, she passed without warning." Molly put her hand on Moody's knee in a touch of comfort. His scarred mouth twisted into a smile before he continued.

"After that, I could never find love again."

"And why not? Time heals all wounds, doesn't it?" Ron asked.

"Well, you see, love is like a booger, Ronald. You keep picking at it and picking at it, and once you've got it you have no idea what to do with it. So I always blew my nose and was done with it."

The silence that hung after that analogy was broken by a simultaneous round of giggles. Moody eventually jumped in with his raspy chuckle. Tonks swept in from the kitchen with the deserts floating behind her. Everyone dug in to the floury treats, cream-filled tarts and cookies alike. Hermione bit into a cream puff and the filling gave her a white mustache. Unaware of the food on her face, she carried conversation normally.

Ron, who was sitting across from her, couldn't control his laughter a moment longer.

"What, Ronald? Are my opinions on S.P.E.W. laughable now more than ever? I swear, you've grown thicker than troll dung." she huffed, crossing her arms angrily. A few who didn't catch the exchange asked Hermione if she was angry or not.

"Of course she's angry!" Ron held up his fork and peered at her from between the prongs. "She's in jail!" Hermione grew red and threw the other cream puff on her plate at the ginger. It exploded on his cheek and sent frosting onto Snape's shoulder.

"No more food throwing! Hermione, dearie, you've got a cream puff mustache. Ronald, she is _not_ in jail. And George, so help me if you put bugs into Ginny's pudding one more time I'll tear your ear off!" Molly's shrill interjections were heeded, and Ginny spat out her pudding with a disgusted look on her face. Little did Molly know, however, that George's ear would be removed soon enough.

XXX

After the dinner plates had been cleared, the guests of the Greengrass party moved onto the dance floor. Underpaid musicians played slow, beautiful waltzes that mirrored the movements of the dancing people. Astoria dragged Draco onto the floor and they began to move fluidly.

"Draco, I didn't expect you'd be any good at dancing!" Astoria joked. Her coif was falling out slightly, partly due to the amount of alcohol in her system. When intoxicated, she had a fondness for shaking her head with forceful exaggeration.

"Haven't you ever watched Ariadne and I dance? We're awfully good."

"Oh, that's just Ariadne leading you around. We both know you've got no skill." She raised a thin brow and Draco's face hardened.

"No skill? Then stop leading and just go along for the ride." Draco quickened the pace, concurrent with the music, and Astoria was soon struggling to keep up with Draco's movements.

"Had enough?" he asked her. Astoria giggled and surrendered, lapsing back into the slow waltz with which they began. Eventually the music slowed and the lights in the ballroom dimmed.

"You smell amazing, Draco." Astoria inhaled Draco's spicy scent and leaned her head on his chest. In the back of Draco's foggy mind, he imagined what Ariadne would think of this. She probably wouldn't like it.

"Thank you, Astoria. You smell good, too." Her scent was an overpowering floral tone, but Draco didn't want to be rude. When the brunette looked at the clock, she gasped quietly.

"There's only a minute left until midnight!" she said excitedly. As if on cue, the band stopped playing and Patricia Greengrass began the countdown. The rest of the party joined in.

"TWENTY…NINTEEN…EIGHTEEN…"

"Draco, are you going to be my midnight kiss?" Astoria asked sultrily. Draco turned red and began stammering. "I…I..I"

"FOURTEEN….THIRTEEN….TWELVE…"

"Oh, forget about Ariadne! Her parents are dead and she isn't half the witch I'm going to be!" Astoria's face was a mix of jealousy and impatience. Draco tried to avoid her gaze.

"EIGHT….SEVEN…..SIX…."

"As beautiful as you are, Astoria, I cannot kiss you. You see, I—" the rest of his sentence couldn't be heard over the roar of the countdown.

"THREE…TWO…ONE…._HAPPY NEW YEAR!" _Couples old and young, familiar and new, locked into embraces and kisses. Astoria grabbed Draco's angular jaw and smashed her lips against his. In the midst of his shock, he forgot his anger and melted into the kiss. Soon Astoria latched her fingers into Draco's hair and he lifted her off the ground.

Once the two finally broke, Draco looked over Astoria's shoulder to find Caroline Walker and Wyvern Silvers staring right at him. Their arms were crossed and their mouths twisted into knowing smirks.

He was in deep shit.

XXX


	18. Just Once, For Me?

**Hey everyone! Keep reviewing, I thought I'd update this pretty quick, I have inspirations galore. **

**What will happen to Draco now that Wyvern and Caroline saw him snogging Astoria?**

**Let's find out, shall we?**

**XXX**

The clock struck midnight at the Burrow, and each dancing couple shared a brief kiss. When Harry's lips grazed Ginny's cheek, the twins made loud snogging noises. Ginny flushed a deep red.

"Oh, toss off!" Her blush only reddened when Fred snatched Harry's spectacles and slid them on his nose.

"Reckon you fancy me now, Ginny? Now that I resemble Prince Charming over here!" Molly whacked Fred over the head with a copy of _Witch Weekly_ and handed Harry back his glasses.

"Just because you haven't got a New Year's kiss doesn't mean you've got to go and ruin everybody else's!" She scolded sternly. Fred looked slightly embarrassed as he apologized to his younger sister. Over Fred's shoulder, George sent Harry a knowing wink, signaling a job well done. Harry smiled, half shocked and half humiliated, suddenly focusing his attention on the fascinating pattern of the carpet beneath his feet.

While this was going on, Hiro stooped to kiss the girl of his dreams. Ariadne dodged the go at her lips and felt Hiro's soft mouth brush against her cheek instead. She had to admit it sent shivers down her spine.

"You're not getting shy on me, are you?" He whispered in her ear. Ariadne smiled sheepishly and rubbed her thumb over the boy's blind blue eye. His eyes fluttered closed at her touch and he exhaled slowly, as if comforted by the contact.

"No, I'm not. It's just…I don't want to break your pristine heart, love." Her hand dropped until it rested over the wizard's chest. Inside, his heart pounded madly at her touch.

"Please, Ariadne. Forget Draco for one bloody night and just kiss me back already." Hiro sounded exasperated and slightly annoyed—he had been waiting for such a snog since he was eleven.

"H-how do you know about Dra—?"

"It's written all over your exquisite face, darling." Hiro mumbled. "Although you're a wonderful liar, I'm not buying this story." Ariadne blinked back tears and stared into his eyes once more.

"I haven't a clue what to do, Hiro." She hissed back. "He's confused me. Used me, and even abused my trust. I don't know what to do. I'm compelled by that pompous ferret, when I should be all over you."

"Oh, lovie, don't get me wrong, if you look past the evilness and spite and biting sarcasm, Draco isn't really that bad…actually puts me in a worse light." Unsure whether this was sarcasm or a real statement, Ariadne chose to consider it valid.

"Have you looked at yourself rationally, lately?" Ariadne began, slate eyes narrowing into accusatory slits. Hiro shrugged, a nonverbal cue for her to continue.

"Damn you, just look at yourself! You're tall, handsome, caring, talented, and you've got the most beautiful eyes this side of Little Whinging." Ariadne rubbed her runny nose with her sleeve. This motion proceeded to expose the silver locket she wore in the hollow of her throat.

"What's that?" Hiro reached for the locket but Ariadne quickly tucked it back into her blouse.

"What's what?" She innocently asked. Hiro rolled his blind eye and reached down her shirt for the pendant.

"Nice try. Who's this from?" He demanded. The Slytherin's nimble fingers undid the clasp and saw the picture of Ariadne and Draco inside. He snapped the heart back shut and let the chain hang.

"So what? You two are an item now?" Hiro growled. The anguish on his face was evident, even as he tried to keep his features level.

"That's not how it is at all, Hiro! Will you please just look!" Ariadne hooked the second chain she wore around her neck and presented Hiro with the necklace he had given her. In the firelight, the cloudy blue stone twinkled subtly. At the sight of this Hiro relaxed considerably.

"What am I to do with you, Ariadne? Wait around until you get bored?"

To this solemn question, Ariadne could offer no answer. Instead she leaned up on his toes and pressed her lips against his. The contact was brief, and ended as quickly as it began.

The remainder of the evening was spent in an awkward silence, at least between the two Slytherin students. The rest of the party was warm and welcoming until around three in the morning, when Molly began cleaning up. Their guests left via apparition. Ariadne lingered to talk to Snape.

"You have to help me…I cannot do this alone." She pleaded. Her cold hands were tangled in Snape's cloak, literally grabbing his attention. He looked down past his crooked nose and assured her she would be fine.

"The Dark Lord knows Draco cannot kill. But he does not know what you are capable of, Miss Nocturne. Use this to your advantage. I am always nearby, ready to guide you through a lifestyle similar to my own. You are never without help." Ariadne clutched the bony hand of the Potions master like a lifeline, squeezing with a force so fierce it might've snapped a branch of the Whomping Willow.

"Thank you, Professor." She finally released Snape from her grip and took a step backward. The girl faced the blizzard and spun into nothingness.

She was dumped at the gates of the manor, where a half-frozen elf waited for her arrival.

"Merlin, how long have you been out here?"

"Since midnight, milady!" The elf squeaked through chattering teeth.

"Bloody hell! Get in my jacket this instant!" Ariadne waved her wand over the elf and a warming sensation coursed through his body. He accepted refuge in Ariadne's coat with no protest.

Once she was inside, the elf bowed so low his crooked nose hit the marble floor.

"I am forever in your debt, mistress!" The tiny elf cried, choked with tears of gratitude. Ariadne awkwardly removed her coat and hung it on the rack by the door.

"No need to thank me. Are Narcissa and Draco home?"

"Yes, milady! They've just arrived twenty or so minutes ago!" The elf bowed deeply again and scurried off to complete more housework. Ariadne shook the snow from her mass of hair and walked toward the kitchen for a glass of water. Her high heels clicked loudly against the floor, successful in announcing her arrival. She found Narcissa making tea and an ice pack. Draco was lying on the couch facing away from the two women.

"Hello, Ariadne! Did you have a good night, dearest?" Narcissa offered her a steaming mug and she accepted it gratefully. Narcissa took a second cup to Draco, who sipped it gingerly. He was clutching the ice pack his mother prepared on his ribs.

"Is everything all right?" Ariadne walked over to Draco and he sat up, making room for her. Once she was seated he laid back down, resting his head in her lap.

"Crabbe and I had a tiff was all." Draco supplied. There was a large chunk of the story missing, that much was evident. Ariadne decided not to press the issue. Narcissa, however, interjected loudly.

"A _tiff?_ Draco Lucius Malfoy, your troll-like little 'friend' struck you with the Cruciatus curse in front of an entire party of pureblood families! He humiliated your father in front of very important people, and if you hadn't won the duel I wouldn't have ever been able to show my face around those wizards and witches again!"

Draco scowled at the situation but smirked triumphantly soon after.

"All is well, mother. I've adequately protected the Malfoy name."

"What's left of it, you mean." Narcissa sipped her tea with a cocked brow. "I'm off to bed now. No funny business now!" Narcissa locked eyes with Ariadne and the look was indecipherable. The older woman padded into the darkness of the hallway and out of sight. When Ariadne's glance flickered to Draco, a pink blush had crept onto his pale cheeks. He ran a thin-fingered hand through his messy hair and rose from the couch. Overcome by dizziness, he immediately sat back down.

"Your head is injured, you dolt. Sit down." Ariadne moved his head back into her lap and began combing her fingers through his hair. His icy eyes closed and his brows furrowed.

"Am I hurting you?" Ariadne asked, withdrawing her hand. He caught it in his own and pulled it back toward his scalp.

"Don't stop doing that, for the love of Merlin." Draco inhaled slowly, as if intoxicated, and exhaled again.

"You look quite handsome tonight, Draco. I'm sure all of the pureblooded girls were fawning over you."

"Oh, undoubtedly. By the way, how was 'Wyvern's', considering her entire family _was at the Greengrass party!_" Draco wriggled out of her lap and sat up, facing his torso in her direction. Ariadne admitted to the lie and instead said she went to Hiro's. Although this was a lie atop another, she felt it prudent not to admit that she had just been inducted into the Order of the Phoenix. Not a good way to start the new year off, with Draco infuriated and betrayed and all.

Draco turned indignant, and spat, "I cannot believe you lied! And what's worse, I bet you snogged the blind little bugger, too!" Ariadne rose to her feet and excoriated the platinum blond.

"Don't you _dare_ speak ill of that boy! I gave him a peck on the mouth at midnight, but nothing more!"

A muscle flexed in his jaw, suggesting the tension bubbling within. He opened his mouth to calmly berate her when he was interrupted by a sharp rap at the window. Perplexed, the girl sauntered over to the sill and opened the glass, allowing a soggy white envelope to flutter in. On its surface, in Wyvern's loopy writing, was Ariadne's name.

"What could she want at this hour?" Ariadne failed to notice the look of complete shock that washed over Draco and tore the paper open.

"N-no! You mustn't read that!" _Wyvern, the little snitch! She couldn't even wait until morning, either?_ Draco frantically grabbed for the envelope but Ariadne sidestepped him. Once the letter was open, the paper folded itself into a mouth and began reading in Wyvern's voice.

"_Ariadne! You will not believe what Caroline and I just saw!"_ Ariadne shot a fierce look at Draco, who had paled considerably.

"_The clock struck midnight, and at that point Astoria had swept Draco onto the dance floor. When it was twelve that tart shoved her tongue down his throat!" _At this point, the voices switched, and the tone now reciting was unmistakably Caroline's.

"_Yeah, youd've thought he would've stopped her, but no, if anything he deepened the snog! Youd've thought he dropped his signet ring in there and he was tryin' to fish it out!" _

"_Disgusting, really,_" Wyvern piped in.

"_Anyway, we don't want that grimy git hurting you, so don't fall for any of his lies!" _Then the letter tore itself up and left the two Slytherins in stunned silence. Draco braced himself for the inevitable onslaught of curses, but the screaming never came. Instead, Ariadne's slender hands curled into fists. Her slate eyes raked over Draco with disgust.

"You…you…" Her anger was so strained Ariadne had trouble finding the words.

"You _snogged_ Astoria Greengrass? A fifth year?" Her white teeth grit together and anger rolled off of her in waves. When she turned to face the cowering boy, Draco flinched.

"S-she forced me to! I couldn't help myself!"

"Control your idiotic and childish hormones, Draco! And to think I actually believed everything you wrote in that five page confession you gave to me along with my Christmas present!" Ariadne reached up to her hair where Draco's gift—the lacquered, immortal gardenia—was pinned. She ripped it from her locks and hurtled it toward the ground. It shattered into three delicate pieces. The silence stretched between them until Draco finally broke it.

"I don't know why I bother with you, Nocturne. I can have any girl I want in Hogwarts…at any time they're falling over themselves to get at me. All except you." Ariadne was about to exit the room but this comment kept her rooted to the spot.

"And why is that?" She asked, voice haughty. Draco's smirk disappeared and a dark grimace replaced it.

"You're too good for me. You're too good for just about anyone, really. But I decided to give it a shot anyway. Just to see if I could. I've already completed my goal of snogging you, so I can finally cross your name off the long list of fools who've been tricked into my bed." A small gasp escaped her lips.

"Surprised? You should be. I've played my part well, and if we weren't assigned to kill Dumbledore together, I wouldn't want to be working with you one bit. I've seen your thoughts and dreams. Oh yes, the look on your face is priceless now. When you're asleep, I use Occumulency on that lovely brain of yours. I know everything that you do, Nocturne. So, that being established, I want nothing more to do with you, seeing as I can't control myself from snogging tarts and whatever else it is you're accusing me of.

"But just so you know, she was drunk when she kissed me. She wanted me to forget about you." Draco bent to pick up the gardenia and held it in his left hand.

"It was a mistake, sure. You're also overlooking the fact that you kissed Taminama as well. A peck or a snog, it doesn't matter. We both messed up. But it's obvious what you've chosen." Draco took a step toward her and for a fleeting moment she thought he was going to strike her. Instead, he reached at her neck and tore the locket from her throat.

XXX

Ariadne didn't bother hiding the look of complete shock that was stuck to her face. Draco kept his back to her as he walked out of the kitchen and up the grand staircase. The blonde girl moved to the table with shaking hands, collapsing into a hardback chair and fiddling with one of Narcissa's silken napkins. Words could not describe what had just transpired.

She first felt foolish for smashing the flower. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts she had ever received. It now probably sat in Draco's wastebin, never to be repaired.

_There's another week until we go back to Hogwarts,_ thought Ariadne. _How can I survive until then?_ After some contemplation she realized she couldn't. She had to leave.

"How do you send your message with a patronus?" Ariadne asked Zeus, who had fondly taken to weaving in and out of the blonde's legs. The cat mewled in response and Ariadne patted his fluffy head.

"Well, no harm in trying." She pictured Snape, wherever he may be, and cast the spell.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" A white lioness burst from the tip of her wand and sat at attention. Unsure of what to do, she asked, "Do I just tell you the message?"

The lioness dipped her head in reply and Ariadne took this to be assent. She carefully instructed the big cat to find Snape and to tell him she needed refuge until school resumed. The lioness darted through the glass wall facing the south and into the blizzard. In the meantime, Ariadne was summoning her belongings by wand. She didn't feel like being anywhere near Draco. Unfortunately, she could hear her trunk clattering against Draco's door in the attempt to bash it open. She cut the spell and trudged upstairs.

Luckily, Draco was sleeping soundly as she collected her things. She looked over the room for anything she might have missed and nearly died when she looked at Draco's desk. On the wooden surface was her gardenia, in pristine condition. Beside it, lying open, was a leather-bound book she figured was Draco's diary. Overcome with curiosity, she tried reading in the dark. Realizing this was futile, she muttered, "_Lumos!_" and began to read.

It covered the night's events in detail, noting the regret he had for kissing Astoria, and their argument in acute accuracy. Too injured to read more, she closed the diary and set it back on the wood, extinguishing her wand. She looked over her right shoulder at Draco, who began snoring slightly in his sleep.

"What are you dreaming about, Malfoy?" She asked the still air. Before she left, she walked to Draco's beside and crouched so her face was level with his. He looked troubled in his sleep, not peaceful like he normally would. She leaned forward and touched her lips to his once, thankful he did not stir. She waved her wand and a large gardenia bloomed in Draco's open palm, waiting until the moment he would awake. Ariadne closed the door and started back down the stairs with her trunk bobbing behind her.

She found Narcissa downstairs, aghast at the sight of a sparkling white doe that was padding around her kitchen. The doe stared at Ariadne and back to Narcissa, impatient at the fact that the two had company.

"Is this yours, dear?" Narcissa asked. Ariadne nodded, and Narcissa came over to hug Ariadne.

"I know that you're hurt. I just couldn't help but hear the whole argument. If you are leaving, please be careful. For Draco's sake, and mine." She kissed Ariadne's hair in the way only a mother could, and released her.

Once the doe was satisfied Narcissa had left, she opened her tiny mouth and Snape's voice came out. The pair was odd—Snape's monotone and the lovely doe—but it worked in a strange way. The doe revealed where Snape lived and transformed into a ball of white light. The ball flew into Ariadne's heart and filled her insides, and she knew where to go. She placed one hand on her trunk, scooped up Zeus, and was pulled into a spinning world, only to be deposited on a porch somewhere in Spinner's End. Snape's house was the best looking on the entire block.

Ariadne rapped at the door and it opened of its own accord. The interior of the house's walls, from floor to ceiling, were covered with bookshelves. Countless volumes were shoved in the available spaces with no decipherable order to them. A fire crackled in the hearth and purple curtains drew themselves across the window.

"Professor?" Ariadne called softly. The doe emerged from Ariadne's chest and bound down the hallway, past a wooden staircase and a coat closet. Ariadne set her trunk down and decided to follow the patronus once more.

"Ah, Miss Nocturne. Shall we drop formalities for the time being?" Snape looked comical, wrapped in a red plaid robe with black slippers. He was wearing a small pair of spectacles and sipping on tea. His kitchen was decorated with simple grey tiles and dark wood. Ariadne finally let Zeus out of her grip and the cat sped away to explore.

"He's trained, I promise." Snape's raised brow told her he did not believe this, but she shook it off.

"If we drop formalities, what shall I call you? Surely not Severus." Ariadne pulled out a high backed chair with curved legs and sat across from her mentor. Snape sighed through his nose and asked to be called by his surname.

"Would you like some tea?" Snape looked slightly uncomfortable, as if something were bothering him. Ariadne declined and turned toward her trunk.

"There's a guest bedroom upstairs with green bedding. You can sleep there, if you'd like." Snape drained the tea from his cup and lazily dismissed it with his wand. Curious, Snape asked:

"I'm impressed that you can produce a patronus, Ariadne. When did you discover this?"

"When Professor Moody had us practice in class." Ariadne cast her patronus and the lioness rested at her feet.

"Your patronus is a doe?" asked Ariadne, clearly confused. She imagined a warthog, or at least a dragon of some sort. Never a doe.

"It's a complicated thing, but yes, a doe," said Snape.

"She's lovely, regardless. I really appreciate you letting me stay here. I would've probably murdered Draco if I had to spend another night with him," said Ariadne.

"What has that arrogant child done this time?" Snape sounded annoyed.

"Arrogant? I thought you favored him," said Ariadne.

"You should know by now, Ariadne, that there isn't much I truly like."

"True, but that doesn't mean there's not a heart under all that bitterness." Ariadne sipped at her tea before continuing.

"He professed his love for me, then went off and snogged Astoria Greengrass." Snape, who has never had the need to navigate such waters, found himself unable to respond. Eventually he managed to say this: "It sounds to me like he is confused."

"I figured that much!" Ariadne said hotly. She had obviously been expecting some worldly, wise answer.

"He admitted to using Occumulency on me in my bloody sleep! He was watching my dreams and learning my secrets!" To this, Snape's eyes widened.

"I suppose Bellatrix has been teaching Draco a few new tricks. Has he told you what he's seen?"

"No, he wouldn't have found out I was in the Order. That just happened tonight."

"But he might have seen the first conversation we had—at the Christmas party, where you had drank enough liquor to choke a centaur."

Ariadne swallowed another mouthful of tea and contemplated this. Would Draco reveal Snape's secret? Would he use their alliance as blackmail?

"Draco loves me too much to put me in danger," said the blonde. Ariadne told Snape about the gardenia and the diary.

"Then it seems you both are at fault," said Snape. Ariadne shrugged and touched the tip of her wand to the wooden table. Another gardenia sprung forward and opened its petals in greeting.

"You and Draco must act quickly once Hogwarts is back in session." Snape adopted a serious tone and Ariadne made the gardenia vanish. It was time to focus.

"But didn't Dumbledore ask you to kill him?" Ariadne whispered. The thought of asking for death scared Ariadne, enough to make her barely want to speak of it.

"Yes, but you must first get Death Eaters into the castle. At the beginning of the year, I made an Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa, while Bellatrix bore witness. I promised I would help Draco succeed in this task. And now that you're involved, I made a vow to myself to assist you as well."

"What I don't understand, Snape, is why you so readily are there for me. You strongly dislike children—and I know you hated my mother, even though she was hateful to begin with. Why have you decided to jeopardize your own life in order to help me? I don't remember doing anything extraordinary, other than being in Slytherin, to merit your favor." Ariadne's slate eyes looked deep into the dark depths of Snape's. His emotions were unreadable.

"You…" he paused, as if unsure whether or not he should continue.

"You remind me of someone I love very much. People like her…I cannot help but try and save." The doe, which had been resting by the back door, lifted her head to glance at Snape.

"I see. I'm very flattered." Ariadne could tell this was a tender subject and skated across it swiftly.

"Getting Death Eaters into Hogwarts will not be easy. The protective spells on it are nearly impossible to break." Snape, relieved to be off the subject of love, readily replied.

"In Knockturn Alley, there is a store called Borgin and Burkes. Are you familiar with the establishment?" Ariadne nodded and he continued. "There is a battered old Vanishing Cabinet there. Its twin is somewhere in Hogwarts. Find it, repair it, and you have your passageway." Snape poured her more tea and the steam rose in swirling tendrils.

"Consider it done." Ariadne stood and walked over to the hearth where a dozen picture frames rested. One depicted a young Snape and a girl with fiery red hair. Another was a woman with silver hair and Snape's crooked nose—his mother. A third showed the original Order of the Phoenix, and beside it was one filled with Death Eaters. Oh, the irony.

Upon closer inspection of the Death Eater photograph, Ariadne noticed her parents in their younger years. Violeta was pregnant—probably with Crete, but she was beaming. Adrien Nocturne's arms were wrapped around his wife and he was laughing. The picture even showed Voldemort—back when he looked more like Tom Riddle than the Dark Lord of late. He was undyingly handsome, with soft dark curls and that smoldering smile. Compared to the more recent version, this Tom was a completely different man. Slightly perturbed she found Voldemort attractive; she quickly set the frame back down.

"Your mother and father were so alive then." Ariadne jumped—she didn't even hear Snape approach. It must be the fluffy black slippers.

"I wish I knew my mother when she was happy," Ariadne sighed.

"Your mother thought you were the most beautiful thing in the entire world," Snape told her.

"What? My mother resented me, she—"

"Your mother was jealous of the goodness in you. In you, she saw a life she could never have." The Potions Master touched the frame with the red-haired girl longingly and the moment didn't go unnoticed by his pupil.

"That's her. That's the woman you love. What happened to her?" Snape stayed quiet for several minutes, struggling with the pain and uncertainty battling inside him. He finally told her the story of Lily Potter.

Ariadne, struck numb, could only gape with an open mouth.

"That's one of the most romantic things I've ever heard." Ariadne's eyes welled with tears of sadness and pity, and Snape's face turned angry.

"I do not need your sympathy, Miss Nocturne. What's done is done, and there is nothing I can do about it. But, this very story is why I denigrate Draco for pushing you away with threats and silly names. For all he knows, you may run off with Taminama and he'll have lost you, just like I lost her." Snape turned on his slippered heel, uttered a goodnight, and went to bed. Ariadne could only stand there, staring at the picture of the giggling redhead she now knew as Lily Potter.

She levitated her trunk into the green-covered room and dressed for bed.

The last thing she thought before she drifted off was that the world was a cruel and terrible place.

XXX

Draco woke up and nearly crushed the gardenia in his hand. The sight confused him momentarily, but it soon dawned on him that someone had put it there.

"Ariadne…" He whispered, groggy with sleep. Draco sat up and saw that his diary had been shut and mentally kicked himself for leaving it out.

"How much did you read, Nocturne?" Draco strode over to the diary and flipped through the pages. When he bought the journal, the shopkeeper promised that if anyone other than Draco were to read the diary, their fingerprints would appear on the pages they had seen. Ariadne's hands had only touched one page—the page he had freshly written of the New Year's debaucheries.

Draco traced the shape of her fingers that were burned into the parchment.

"I have to apologize." He took the gardenia off the desk and slipped it into his pants pocket, where the locket was resting. Draco opened the door and jogged downstairs to find his mother, patiently waiting for the House Elves to fulfill her request for eggs Florentine. The blond noticed only two place settings were at the table.

"Where is she?" Draco demanded. Narcissa looked up from the Daily Prophet with sad eyes.

"She left, dearest. Left without a single word." Draco's heart slammed into his stomach and the feeling of defeat crept over him. It wrapped its constricting arms around his lungs and forced the air out of them. Ariadne left? Just like that?

"She's really gone, then? Where could she have run off to?"

"Perhaps she went to the Estate?" Narcissa offered helpfully. Draco turned on his foot and vanished with a _crack! _

He landed on the enormous terrace overlooking the sea. The waves churned below the boy, and he began moving toward the slate-covered house as quickly as his feet would allow. The place looked empty.

He cupped his hands on the glass and peered inside, trying to shut out the conflicting light. The inside was dark. No one was home.

"Ariadne!" Draco shouted, pounding on the glass. Nobody answered. He could send an owl, but where in Merlin's name would he send it?

He could try sending a Patronus, but he was never able to produce one.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" A white wisp of magic sputtered from his wand and faded instantly. He imagined Ariadne and tried once more, with fervor.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" A more substantial cloud of silver erupted from the Hawthorne wand and began swirling into a shape. What its shape was, however, was indistinguishable. The patronus flopped lazily onto the balcony and disappeared.

"Toss it all!" Draco growled, pointing his wand in the air and casting the spell a final time. A shaky but solid dragon roared from the end of his wand and flew around the air several times. Overcome by happiness at his success, the dragon intensified until it was completely opaque.

"Find Ariadne!" The dragon shakily launched itself from the railing and out over the open sea, disappearing into the dawn.

Snape rose early to fetch the Daily Prophet from his porch and to let Zeus outside. The white cat rubbed against his shin in affection, and Snape momentarily forgot his desire to kill the animal. It was cute once you got past the incessant shedding.

Outside, a light snow was falling. Snape thought the winter time dramatically improved Spinner's End, as the clean snow formed a nice layer over the dilapidation the town usually sported. He lingered on the front step for a few moments, allowing the brisk weather to chill him. Without warning, a poorly-formed dragon patronus shot through the Potions Master and inside his home. The wizard followed the weak thing until he realized the message was not for him, but for Ariadne.

He pushed open the door to her bedroom and saw her staring at the dragon, utterly perplexed.

"Does it have a message for me?" asked Ariadne.

"It should have delivered the message if there was one. The caster obviously isn't used to performing the Patronus Charm." The dragon dissolved into an indiscernible mist.

"Odd," said Ariadne. The blonde detached herself from the tangle of sheets and passed Snape at the doorway, intent on using the restroom. The halls were covered in framed art pieces, ranging from pretty nature scenes to delicately painted portraits. Snape's bathroom was paved in deep purple tile with a black marble sink.

"Did you decorate the interior yourself?" Ariadne asked, running a slender finger over the spotless counter. Snape called back that he had, and his answer impressed her. The décor was tasteful and un-dungeon-like.

Ariadne finished in the bathroom and waltzed downstairs for breakfast. Snape had a steaming mug of tea in her place setting, accompanied by a muffin and a slice of melon. She quietly thanked her mentor and ate the offering. Snape flicked through the Daily Prophet dismissively, not quite reading, merely scanning the pictures.

"A muggle family has gone missing." Those were the words that Snape actually said. What Ariadne heard, however, was, "A muggle family was murdered."

Slate eyes met shining onyx for a brief moment of understanding.

XXX

"Ariadne, I understand your father's will has not yet been settled?" Snape asked a while later. Ariadne was snapped from her reverie and replied that it hadn't. Snape unhooked a traveling cloak from a hanger by the door and threw it over his shoulders.

"Then I suggest we go to a firm to get it appraised." Ariadne nodded and retrieved her own cloak.

"_Accio will!_" The yellowed parchment zoomed out of her trunk and into her hand, where she concealed it within the folds of her robes. Snape held out his pale hand and Ariadne rested hers atop it. They twisted into the air and disapparated.

They arrived at a bright looking law office on the outskirts of Diagon Alley. The green-painted door rang a bell once Ariadne pushed it open. A red-haired witch behind a desk ushered them over to the waiting area, waving her wand and sending a clipboard Ariadne's way. No one else was in the firm. Despite this fact, the two had to wait around twenty minutes, as if they were waiting on another case.

"Miss Ariadne?" The witch called, looking around the small room. Snape raised his eyebrow in annoyance.

"We are the only two people present," Snape seethed. The witch narrowed her eyes and forced a smile, directing them into the magical lawyer's office.

The attorney was a stout, balding wizard with smart black robes. His desk was a simple oaken thing, with pictures of his giggling children sitting on its surface. Behind the lawyer, countless magical documents were being signed, filed, and put away of their own accord. The wizard gestured to two padded chairs across from him, where Snape and Ariadne sat down.

"Good morning, Miss—" he looked on the clipboard's information sheet. "—Nocturne. It says 'ere you need will read." Ariadne nodded and handed the lawyer her parents' will. He tapped it with his stubby wand and the will folded into a mouth.

"Is a magical attorney present?" Ariadne jumped when she realized the nasally voice of the will belonged to her mother.

"Yes, it is I—Ulysses Tapton—magical attorney at law." The will finally unrolled itself on the oak desk and Ulysses put on a pair of reading glasses that were too small for his face.

"The last will and testament of Adrien Avern Nocturne and Violeta Cherise Nocturne. In the event of our untimely deaths, we decide to divide our inheritance between our two children, Crete Vladimir Nocturne and Ariadne Fortuna Nocturne." The wizard paused and sized up Snape, wondering if he was Crete. He decided he wasn't, and asked Ariadne if her brother was present or available.

"My brother died many years ago." The lawyer looked at his sneakoscope on the desk behind him and was mollified when it didn't go off.

"In the event that one of our children…Oh, here we go," The wizard was pleased that the couple had the foresight to include this. "In the event that one of our children passes, our entire fortune shall be allocated to the surviving child. Ariadne, which must be you." Ariadne was still in shock that her parents had divided the will equally in the first place. She had guessed, no, believed she had known that they would leave everything to Crete. He was always the favorite, always better, always the one they were proud of.

"Well, it seems that your life will be forever comfortable," said Snape.

"But at what cost? Being the last of the Nocturnes?" Ariadne felt angry tears swell in her eyes. The lawyer, feeling uncomfortable at her crying, handed her the respective documents that would sign everything the Nocturnes owned into existence. She signed them with a scratchy scrawl and slid them back across the table.

"Thank you, Miss Nocturne. Expect the documents by owl in a few days' time." Ariadne thanked the man and left the firm with Snape in tow.

XXX

There were two days left before the second term began, and Snape decided to take Ariadne to Borgin and Burke's to view the Vanishing Cabinet. Borgin lead the pair to a cramped, foul-smelling corridor where magical furniture was stored. Ariadne accidentally kicked a floor lamp that had teeth, almost shattering a mirror that would shout all of the imperfections of the viewer with unfathomable volume.

"INDECISIVE! RULE BREAKER! LIAR! DOUBLE AGENT!" The mirror shrieked.

Mottled with shame, Ariadne ignored the surprised looks from Snape and Borgin and focused her attention on the black lacquered vanishing cabinet.

"Look well, Ariadne," said Snape. Borgin opened the cabinet and inside was a low, dusty shelf.

"Ye put something in 'ere, close the door an' it comes out on the other side," Borgin rasped.

"But the passageway is broken," Ariadne quipped. Borgin nodded and said, "Its twin is nowhere te be found, that is." Snape gave Ariadne a knowing look and she nodded once.

"Please put the cabinet on hold under this name," asked Ariadne, scribbling the name "Beatricce Bellaco" on Borgin's yellowed notepad. Borgin tapped the note with his wand and the cabinet was enveloped in an eerie green light.

"Thank ye fer yer business, Severus Snape and," Borgin paused to read the name, "Beatricce Bellaco." Snape thanked the man and walked out of the shop with his blonde apprentice.

"Are there any more items you need to acquire from Diagon Alley?" Snape asked. Ariadne insisted on getting an ice cream from the tiny cart outside of the Owlry. Snape almost snorted at her request, but caved after five minutes of incessant nagging. Ariadne bought a strawberry cone for herself and turned to Snape, expecting him to choose a flavor.

"I do not have a sweet tooth, I assure you," Snape said with a yawn.

"Then good luck in your life without a soul, Professor. One Caramel Toffee, please." Ariadne paid for the ice cream and left a fifty galleon tip, to which the kind ice cream vendor blushed in gratitude.

"T-thank you, Miss Nocturne!"

"Oh it's not a probl—wait, how do you know my name?"

"You're all over the prophet, dear!" And the ice cream man turned to another impatient customer.

Snape's expression quickly shifted from apathy to wild concern. With a sweep of his black cloak, he walked over to Flourish and Blott's and snatched a newspaper off the stack outside. His face darkened as he scanned over the headlines.

"What is it? Let me see!" Ariadne grabbed another copy and felt her heart stop. Emblazoned across the top in enormous black letters was: "_Wizarding Couple Found Dead on Muggle Shore_." It showed a picture of her parents' empty coffins on the shore of a Muggle beach and their bodies strewn about.

"Yesterday afternoon, two Muggles spotted glass caskets containing the bodies of Adrien and Violeta Nocturne. They had washed up on the shores of a local Muggle area, and the distress called in the Muggle authorities," Snape read aloud. Ariadne's eyes were brimming with tears. The story covered a brief history of their family and their supposed Death Eater status, and goes on to explain how Ariadne is the only surviving Nocturne in the old family bloodline. The picture they featured of Ariadne was taken last year on the train ride to Hogwarts.

"Hey! This picture is sitting on my bookshelf at home! How did they get a hold of that picture?" Ariadne snarled, shaking the paper violently in Snape's face.

"They must have searched your house for evidence leading to their deaths," Snape offered. Ariadne wheeled, and shouted to no one, "Isn't it bloody obvious they were done in by the Killing Curse? What in the hell else do wizards and Muggles die by these days?"

The few people who had been reading the prophet recognized the blonde Slytherin and gave her looks of pity. A few looked afraid, even. The rumors that her family members were Death Eaters was true, but that didn't mean that the rumor extended to Ariadne. She looked down to her arm and was relieved when her sleeve was still pulled over the dark mark. Someone would turn her in in an instant.

Snape grasped her hand and disapparated, pulling Ariadne into a black abyss that she wished she never had to leave.

XXX

Ariadne quickly turned to apparate to the Estate. Snape only asked if she would be back before nightfall.

"Yes, this shouldn't take too long." Ariadne spun on her heel and found herself on the balcony of the Estate. The entrances were covered in yellow caution tape, and a few Aurors were standing guard outside.

"Excuse me, what in the hell do you think you're doing to my house?" Ariadne growled, tearing off the yellow tape to step inside.

"Pardon me, miss, but this is a crime scene that the ministry is trying to sort out," said an Auror. Ariadne wanted to scream.

"Are you joking? They were killed by You-Know-Who! That much is obvious! I buried my damned parents in the sea just as they wanted to be buried!" The Auror said nothing as he waved his wand. A large and incriminating shield charm blocked her path inside.

"You're joking," Ariadne seethed. She stomped indignantly to the balcony and clambered up onto the railing. She faced the Aurors and gave them a daring glance.

"Get down from there!" One of the Aurors was now ready to freeze her body and drag her from her perch. But she would not be impeded.

"Don't think this will go unresolved," she threatened. The Slytherin spread her arms out wide, tilted her head back, and leaned backward until she fell from the railing.

She apparated inside the house and quickly ran to gather necessities. With a shaky incantation, she managed to adapt one of her mother's old enormous handbags with an undetectable extension charm. She shoved frame after frame of pictures, heirlooms, and other knickknacks into the bag, wincing as she heard glass shatter. The girl sprinted upstairs to her own bedroom, where she piled in her clothes and the fleece blanket at the edge of her bed.

Books, treasures, documents, and safes alike went into the depths of the tote bag. Once she was satisfied that she had cleared a room, she slammed the door and slashed it with her wand, painting an enormous red "X" on the surface. She even went ahead as to kick down Crete's door and take his things as well. Her parents' bedroom was eerie, and she felt wrong taking more photographs and important items. All of her mother's jewelry tumbled into her sash, along with her father's diary and a couple of pairs of their clothing.

"Just one more thing," Ariadne panted, flush from running and lifting. The girl half stumbled downstairs into her father's study, intent on emptying it of its secrets. The Aurors would realize she was in there soon enough. Once she finished, she made another trip around the house. Except this time, she conjured gasoline and doused any surface she could find.

One match was all it would take.

But Ariadne thought that would be wasteful and unexciting. She heard glass break from the balcony's doors and saw the Aurors rush in.

"Hey! This is private property!" An Auror drew his wand and Ariadne just stood there with her arms crossed.

"It smells funny in here, Mortimer," one said shrewdly. Ariadne glanced at her nails and attempted to appear bored.

"I know this is private property, you Aurors are trespassing in _my_ house!"

"You will either leave the premises now or be detained by force. This house is property of the Ministry until the case of the Nocturne murder has been resolved," another Auror piped in.

"What utterly baffles me is that there are five skilled Aurors in here and none of you have done anything to discipline and or stop me from what I'm about to do now," Ariadne's wand was concealed in her sleeve, ready to drop in her hand at any moment. The Aurors drew their own wands upon her and she could see them getting dizzy from the petroleum fumes. Her mind began to swim as well. As they stood there in stalemate, Ariadne let the wand slip from her robe and into her right hand. Instead of pointing it at the Aurors, as they expected, she pointed it to a shimmery pool of liquid on the floor. Her lips parted slightly, and she whispered a single word.

"_Incendio." _

XXX

**REVIEWWW BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! I'm trying to make the chapters extra long :D **


End file.
